Editing Richard Smalley (section)

===Religion during final years===
Smalley, who had taken classes in religion as well as science at [[Hope College]], rediscovered his religious foundation in later life, particularly during his final years while battling cancer.<ref name=Alumni>{{cite web |first=Richard |last=Smalley |url=http://www.hope.edu/news/2005/10/29/remarks-by-richard-smalley-at-alumni-banquet.html |title=Remarks by Richard Smalley at 2005 Alumni Banquet |date=October 29, 2005 |access-date=December 15, 2017 |quote=My short two years at Hope starting as a freshman in 1961 were immensely important to me. I went to chapel, studied religion, and attended church more than I had ever done before, and was with people who took to these issues seriously. I valued that greatly back then. Recently I have gone back to church regularly with a new focus to understand as best I can what it is that makes Christianity so vital and powerful in the lives of billions of people today, even though almost 2000 years have passed since the death and resurrection of Christ.}}</ref>  During the final year of his life, Smalley wrote: "Although I suspect I will never fully understand, I now think the answer is very simple: it's true. God did create the universe about 13.7 billion years ago, and of necessity has involved Himself with His creation ever since."<ref name=Alumni/>

At the [[Tuskegee University]]'s 79th Annual Scholarship Convocation/Parents' Recognition Program he was quoted making the following statement regarding the subject of evolution while urging his audience to take seriously their role as the higher species on this planet. {{"'}}Genesis' was right, and there was a creation, and that Creator is still involved ... We are the only species that can destroy the Earth or take care of it and nurture all that live on this very special planet. I'm urging you to look on these things. For whatever reason, this planet was built specifically for us. Working on this planet is an absolute moral code. ... Let's go out and do what we were put on Earth to do."<ref name="Tuskegee">{{cite web |title=Scholarship Convocation Speaker Challenges Scholars to Serve the Greater Good |url=http://www.tuskegee.edu/Articles/scholarship_convocation_speaker_challenges_scholars_to_serve_the_greater_good.aspx |website=Tuskegee University |date=October 3, 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210153849/http://www.tuskegee.edu/Articles/scholarship_convocation_speaker_challenges_scholars_to_serve_the_greater_good.aspx |archive-date=February 10, 2017 }}</ref> [[Old Earth creationism|Old Earth creationist]] and [[astronomer]] [[Hugh Ross (creationist)|Hugh Ross]] spoke at Smalley's funeral, November 2, 2005.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.jmtour.com/media/smalley_funeral.mp3| title = Funeral Service for Professor Richard Smalley – Speakers: James Tour, Hugh Ross and Ben Young, 2005-11-02, mp3 audio}}</ref>