Scott County Arkansas Biographies

GOODSPEED BIOGRAPHIES
Contributed by Charlene Holland

Biographical & Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago and Nashville, 1891.

Prof. SAMUEL F. GODDARD

Prof. Samuel F. Goddard of Scott County, Ark., is a son of C.E. and N. T. (Smedley) Goddard, both of whom were born in this State, the former being reared in Washington County on a farm. At the age of eighteen years he went to California and after remaining in that State for several years he returned to Arkansas, and settled in Sebastian County. His wife was a daughter of Joseph R. Smedley, a native of England, who was sent as a missionary to this county by the Missionary Baptist Church, his field of labor being principally in the Indian Territory. The immediate subject of this sketch is the second son in a family of eight children born to his parents, and although his opportunities for acquiring an education, up to age of eighteen years, were very limited, he, at that time entered a very good school at Hartford, in which he took an academic course. He supplemented this by an attendance at Buckner College, where he remained for three years, at the end of which time he started out for himself as a school teacher, to which calling he has since given attention. He became an instructor in the graded school of Waldron in September, 1890 with the end in view of bringing the school to a higher state of perfection, and preparing the students for college work, and has, in conjunction with Prof. Henderson, established a normal class, which he hopes will be well patronized, and profitable to the school and an honor to the county. He was born in Sebastian County, Ark., September 23, 1864, and was married October 8, 1890, to Miss Johnnie Tankersley, a daughter of Dr. O.D. and M.E. Tankersley, of Clarksville, Johnson County, Ark. She was given the advantage of the Clarksville school, and is a well-educated lady. She has three sisters, one of who is the wife of Dr. C.E. Frost, of Salem, Ark., the other two being at home attending school. Her father has been a practicing physician for many years, but is now retired. Mr. Goddard met his wife while taking a three years' course in Hendricks College, at Atlus, which is one of the leading educational institutions of the State. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, of which they have been members since they were fifteen and twelve years of age respectively. Mr. Goddard is a licensed minister of the church, and socially is a member of Mansfield Lodge of the A.F. & A.M. He is highly esteemed by the people of Waldron and vicinity, and has the reputation of being one of the leading educators of the western part of the State.