Mott-Smith (1902–1960) was co-chairman of the ACBL Laws Commission, editor of the ACBL Bridge Bulletin 1935-36, a contributor to The Bridge World, a writer and cryptographer.
During World War II, Mott-Smith served as chief instructor for the OSS in the training of cryptographers and cryptanalysts.
He authored or co-authored more than 29 books on games and served as games consultant for the Association of American Playing Card Manufacturers.
The Mott-Smith Trophy was donated by friends in memory of Geoffrey Mott-Smith in 1961 and made retroactive to 1958 to include all the winners.