in 1909, when bixby smith discovered that her husband had been having an affair with the children's au pair, she helped him to get a new position in northern california at the first unitarian church in berkeley. smith's life became more complicated when she got romantically involved with paul jordan-smith, a married minister at the same church, who was also a graduate student in the english department at the university of california, berkeley. when their liaison was discovered, the english department faculty voted not to renew his fellowship.