Sir William Reardon Smith, founder of the Reardon Smith shipping line, was one of the foremost figures in south Wales in the early twentieth century. Starting as a cabin boy, he made a fortune as a ship owner at the height of the Welsh coal trade and subsequently showed great entrepreneurial initiative during the Great Depression, acquiring motor vessels and establishing new trade routes. He is also remembered as a great philanthropist, particularly through his association with the National Museum of Wales.