Sheila Robertson Smith

Sheila Robertson Smith got into her profession in the medical field by accident. She was originally a physical education major at the University of Miami but dropped out in her junior year. On a trip to visit a friend in North Carolina, Ms. Smith visited the employment office at Duke University and ended up landing a job in a lab at the medical center. She always had an interest in sciences and explored this while in college. However, what impeded her collegiate endeavors was her indecisiveness on what to do next. When she learned about the job as a hematology technician, it rekindled her focus and interest in science. From 1966 to 1972, she worked as a hematology technician at the Duke University Medical Center. She later supplanted this work at the North Arundel Hospital and the Anne Arundel Medical Center. After several decades of committed work, she retired in 1993. In addition to her work in the medical field, she served as a representative on the employee’s council at the Duke University Medical Center. Furthermore, Ms. Smith served on the Board of Directors Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco and the Smallwood Foundation. Since 1997, she has served as a docent of the Port Tobacco Village and Courthouse. In recognition of her civic work in local historic preservation, she has received the Charles County Historic Trust Preservation Award and the Mrs. Frank J. Fletcher Award from the Charles County Garden Club.

Throughout her career, Ms. Smith has maintained professional affiliation with the Society for Restoration of Port Tobacco, the Charles County Historical Society, the Charles County Garden Club and the Smallwood Foundation. Ms. Smith recalls one of the highlights of her career occurring during the time when she worked at Anne Arundel Medical Center. In one instance, she received a blood slide from a friend. The blood slide was of a newly diagnosed leukemia called hairy cell leukemia. A patient’s bloodwork was given to her; she looked at it and realized it looked the same as the slide her friend had sent her. She consulted with the patient’s doctor and recognized the similarity. He complemented her on her findings.