Lura McLane Smith and her husband, Roy Kenneth Smith, were sent to Korea in August 1911 as a medical missionary for the Northern Presbyterian U.S.A. She received a master's degree in sociology from the University of Kansas on May 15, 1911, just before coming to Korea, and surprisingly, her thesis title was "Korean Study of Korean People." Korean geography, topography, history, climate, soil, products, animals, resources, cities, populations, race, language, social life, social class, women's status, family life, various religions, Christian history, art, trade, clothing, marriage system, funeral culture, myth and legend, modern historical situation, etc.

She moved from Severance Hospital to Andong Sanctuary Hospital with her husband in 1913. From 1922 to 1934, he conducted medical missionary and missionary activities at the Jaeryeong Presbyterian Hospital. And from 1934 to 1940, Lura and Smith worked at the United Christian Hospital in Pyongyang.

Lura Smith's Master's Degree (M.A.) thesis

In the 1930s, Lura actively engaged in enlightenment lectures and outpatient treatment activities on tuberculosis. 25 books on tuberculosis were sold an average per hour to patients who visited the hospital. She visited three Bible study classes registered by 1,000 people every day and sold 300 to 400 books. As a result of these efforts, the number of tuberculosis patients among all patients visiting Pyongyang United Christian Hospital increased to 25-30% every year, and 486 out of 3,805 patients were tuberculosis patients in the first half of 1940.

In 1940, Lura and Smith moved their ministry to Cheonseong Midong Hospital in Pyeonganbuk-do. At that time, missionaries issued Christmas seals as an enlightenment project to combat tuberculosis. With the development of this, the Christmas Seal Campaign was organized by the Christmas Seal Committee of the Korean Medical Missionary Council, and volunteer ministers were organized in each mission branch nationwide to carry out the campaign. With a fairly low understanding of the disease and treatment of tuberculosis, these campaigns have achieved significant results in the anti-tuberculosis work of Christian hospitals.

Christmas Seal

Lura was expelled with her husband Roy Smith in 1942, and then returned to Korea on October 1, 1948, when her husband was appointed as the sixth president of Dongsan Christian Hospital in Daegu. Based on her previous experience in medical missionary work in Korea, she helped her husband to devote and serve at Dongsan Christian Hospital. In 1950, she retired from the missionary position with her husband and returned one's country. She was called by God in 1979 at the age of 94.

Lura McCrane Smith Tombstone