Huston Smith: Scholar of World Religions Dies at 97

Huston Smith was an American religious studies scholar. Born on May 31, 1919, in Suzhou, China, to Methodist missionary parents, he earned a PhD from the University of Chicago.

He wrote The World's Religions (1958), a textbook that sold more than three million copies. He taught at Washington University, MIT and Syracuse University and recorded the overtone chanting of Tibetan monks. He helped pass a 1994 amendment protecting Native American religious freedom.

He was the subject of a PBS series. Smith died in Berkeley, California, on December 30, 2016, at age 97.

Achievements: Author of The World's Religions.

Birth: May 31, 1919 - Suzhou, China.

Profession: Religious scholar and author.

Interesting Facts: His book sold over three million copies.