Alexander Tait Smith, widely known as Tait, was born at Inglewood Victoria, the son of Robert Tait and Ada Smith (née McDonald) on October 20th 1915. He was educated at Middle Park Central School where his father was Headmaster. In 1929 he entered Melbourne Grammar School with a Junior Government Scholarship, two years later winning the J.H. Sutton Scholarship. As a prefect he played first team cricket and football, was the star of the debating team, acted in school plays and became a Lieutenant in the cadet corps. He matriculated with first class honours and in 1934 entered the medical course at the University of Melbourne. That same year his course was interrupted by his developing severe paralytic poliomyelitis. However, the following year he recommenced the medical course, graduating MBBS in 1940.

Tait was a man of many and varied gifts in oratory, drama and music During his student days he wrote scripts for the history section of the Australian Broadcasting Commission and nonsense rhyming serials for the Children's session.

On the advice of Clive Fitts, (qv2) Tait entered St Vincent’s Hospital Clinical School as a fourth year student and following graduation he was appointed Resident Medical Officer. Since a mild limp, a legacy of his poliomyelitis, rendered him unfit for military service, he remained at St Vincent’s Hospital until 1946, becoming Clinical Registrar and then Pathology Registrar. During these years he obtained his MD and MRACP. At this time he was appointed Beaney Scholar in the University of Melbourne Pathology Department.

In 1947 he went to London and was appointed Assistant Pathologist at St Thomas’ Hospital. While in England he developed pulmonary tuberculosis and for some months was a patient at Midhurst Sanatorium. In 1951 Tait returned to Melbourne as Pathologist at St Vincent’s Hospital where he remained until 1956, establishing a reputation as a fine teacher, with a style enhanced by his dramatic gifts. In 1956 he moved with his wife Margaret and their three sons to Sydney to assist his father-in-law in his general practice. At the same time he held a teaching appointment in the Pathology Department at the University of Sydney. In 1962, following the death of his father-in-law in a car accident, Tait was appointed Morbid Anatomist and Histopathologist at Prince Henry Hospital with the conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of New South Wales.

In 1976 he returned to Melbourne as Surgical Pathologist at St Francis Xavier Cabrini Hospital where he remained until his retirement 1988. Until his final illness Tait maintained an active interest in music. With his wife Margaret, herself an accomplished musician, he played in quartets and small orchestras. As a poliomyelitis victim he learnt to play the flute and in his later years his musical abilities extended to include the double bass and the cello. In 1992 he became paraplegic from an unsuspected carcinoma of the prostate. Despite this he remained cheerful and uncomplaining until the end, which came on 23 July 1994.