William Newton-Smith

William Herbert Newton-Smith (May 25, 1943 – April 8, 2023) was a Canadian philosopher of science. He earned his undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Philosophy from Queen's University in 1966, followed by an MA in Philosophy from Cornell University in 1968, and a DPhil in philosophy from Balliol College, Oxford, in 1974. His professional life was primarily spent as a Fellow at Balliol College. Newton-Smith's 1980 book, *The Structure of Time*, delved into the philosophy of time. During the 1980s, he was part of a group of British philosophers who traveled to Czechoslovakia to conduct clandestine philosophy lectures. He also played a key role in leading Central European University from its inception in 1991 until Alfred Stepan became rector in 1993. Newton-Smith had two daughters from his first marriage to Dorris Heffron; his daughter Rain Newton-Smith is an economist and became Director General of the Confederation of British Industry in April 2023. In 2003, Newton-Smith and his second wife, Nancy Durham, became pioneers in cultivating lavender on a large scale in Wales, eventually becoming the sole distillers of lavender oil in the region and establishing a company, Welsh Lavender Ltd., that produces skincare products. Newton-Smith passed away from throat cancer on April 8, 2023, at the age of 79.