Brigadier General
Distinguished Service Medal
A native of Forrest City, Arkansas, David Smalley is the youngest son of Robert and Doreen Smalley. His father was a World War II veteran and served in the European theater. Doreen was an English War Bride and immigrated to Arkansas with Robert after the war.
BG Smalley is a 1973 graduate of Arkansas State University, having completed the ROTC Basic course requirements. He holds three Master’s degrees and a doctoral degree and is a graduate of the Army War College. He received a direct commission into the U.S. Army Reserve as a First Lieutenant and served nearly 30 years in the military, culminating at the rank of Brigadier General. His major assignments included Medical Detachment, Battalion and Brigade commands, Assistant Division Commander, Assistant Surgeon General for the Army, Deputy Commanding General for the Army Reserve Medical Command and the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support). His military awards and decorations include, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and many others. The Surgeon General awarded him the “A” designator as a specialist in his field and he is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.
In his civilian career David Smalley has over 40 years of experience in Laboratory Medicine and has held posts in several hospitals, independent laboratories and public health laboratories. He currently serves as the President for the American Esoteric Laboratories (AEL) in Memphis, Tennessee which is a Sonic Healthcare Company. He is the recipient of the Lucien Dean Hartert Award, the highest award presented for service to the field of laboratory medicine. He is a 2006 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from ASU’s College of Nursing and Health Professions.
In academia, he served over 25 years with the University of Tennessee, Health Sciences Center as a Professor of Pathology and Professor of Clinical Laboratory Sciences. He currently serves as a member of several advisory councils at University of Memphis, Arkansas State University and the University of Tennessee. Dr. Smalley has been published in over 110 papers, books, and monographs. BG Smalley resides in Bartlett, Tennessee close to his son, Michael Smalley and daughter Jenna Austin who both reside in Cordova.
