William Alexander Smith founded the Boys' Brigades in 1883. He was born in 1854 in Scotland and had a military background, working his way up the ranks of the 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers. Smith became the full-time Brigade Secretary for the Boys' Brigades and was knighted in 1909 for his work with the organization. He unexpectedly took ill and passed away in 1914 while attending a Boys' Brigades Executive meeting in London.