Robert Ellis Smith is an American attorney, author, and a publisher/journalist whose focus is mainly privacy rights. Robert began his career in journalism during high school and while attending Harvard. He was President of The Harvard Crimson. After college, he wrote for newspapers such as the Detroit Free Press, Newsday in New York, and the Southern Courier. He also worked for the ACLU. Since 1974, he has published Privacy Journal newsletter as well as several books, such as Ben Franklin?s Website: Privacy and Curiosity from Plymouth Rock to the Internet. From the book: "Just what is privacy? It is the desire of each of us for physical space where we can be free of interruption, intrusion, embarrassment, or accountability and the attempt to control the time and manner of disclosures of personal information about ourselves." He has written Workrights,The Law of Privacy Explained, and Privacy: How to Protect What?s Left of It The 1979 book was nominated for a National Book Award. 

September 6th, 1940 in Providence (Age 84)