Warren Allen Smith was born in Minburn, Iowa on October 27, 1921. He graduated from Minburn High School (1939). After serving in the Army during World War II (1940-1944), he graduated from the University of Northern Iowa (1948) and received a Masters degree from Columbia University (1949). At Columbia, Smith studied in the American Literature masters program and his thesis was "The Seven Humanisms." He served as Chairman of the Department of English (1949-1954) at the Bentley School in New York City and then held the same position at New Canaan (Connecticut) High School (1954-1986).



In addition to his teaching activities, Smith was President and Chairman of the Board of Variety Sound Corporation in New York City, and was President of Afro-Carib Records and Talent Management. Active in secular humanist circles, Smith was on the Board of Directors of the Bertrand Russell Society and was a member of the American Unitarian Association and the British Humanist Association. Smith was a signer of the Humanist Manifesto II in 1973. In addition, Smith authored and edited book reviews such as the Book Review Editor for The Humanist (1953-1958) and contributed book reviews to Library Journal. He also authored several editions of Who's who in hell: a handbook and international directory for humanists, freethinkers, naturalists, rationalists, and non-theists.