Essence Magazine Co-Founder Clarence O. Smith Dies At 92
Clarence O. Smith, one of the founders of Essence Magazine, passed away on Monday, April 21, at the age of 92. Smith spent over three decades at Essence Communications, serving as president and overseeing the company’s advertising and marketing.
The New York Times reported that Smith resided in Yonkers, NY, and passed away in a hospital after a short illness, according to his niece Kimberly Fonville Boyd.
When reflecting on Smith’s death, Susan L. Taylor, the magazine’s former Editor-in-Chief, told Essence, “He shifted hearts, minds—and investment choices—in the conventional advertising world. With the income he and his teams primarily generated, we editors were able to grow the magazine’s beauty and depth.”
Essence’s growth
Essence’s first monthly magazine was published in May 1970 during a time when the media was often perpetuating negative stereotypes about Black women, according to Edward Lewis, one of four founders of Essence and who became its chief executive. The publication soon became a pillar in the Black community, highlighting the achievements and beauty of African American women.
Clarence O. Smith’s career
Smith was born in the Bronx, New York, on March 31, 1992, and served in the US Army from 1957 to 1959. After his service, he studied business at the Baruch School of Business and worked for Prudential Insurance in its Investors Planning Corporation.
In 1968, he co-founded the “Essence” brand with Edward Lewis, Cecil Hollingsworth, and Jonathan Blount. During his time at Essence, the company grew its empire with ventures like “Essence Awards,” “Essence Television,” and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, an annual conference and concert series that takes over New Orleans every July 4 weekend.
Image: Jack Manning/The New York Times
