bixby smith was married and divorced twice. in 1896, she married arthur maxson smith. with her inherited wealth, she financed arthur’s graduate divinity school studies at the university of chicago and harvard on his way to becoming a unitarian minister. in 1900, they moved to hawaii for two years when arthur was appointed the head of honolulu’s oahu college and punahou school. they returned to the mainland as a result of arthur's liaisons with oahu college students and moved to claremont, california, where arthur taught philosophy at pomona college from 1904 to 1909. they commissioned architect arthur b. benton to build them a 14-room mansion on 20 acres directly across the street from the campus.