Dingee's 1918 catalogue lists both Charles Dingee and William R. Smith, so they must be two separate roses.
They emphatically claimed that they were the originators of Charles Dingee (as Hermosa x White Maman Cochet) and promote it as the 'best bush rose in the world'. They also warn of others roses being passed off fraudulently as Charles Dingee.

Despite the confusion over the early distribution and naming of the original William R Smith, it looks very likely that Charles Dingee is a distinctly separate variety and that William R Smith has at some point been passed off as Charles Dingee, hence its existence as a synonym.


There's even a very good photo of "William R Smith" in this 1918 catalogue (besides photos of 'Charles Dingee")

"Charles Dingee" The Most Wonderful Bush Rose in the World (See the Colored Photographic Illustration on opposite page.)
The Charles Dingee Rose is the result of cross-breeding between Hermosa, that grand old hardy pink variety, and White Maman Cochet, perhaps the greatest of all white garden Roses - a superb parentage, which insures its offspring every point of excellence. With the hardy, vigorous constitution of a Hybrid Perpetual, growing to perfection in almost any soil or situation, it has the most magnificent foliage, absolutely free from disease, that we have ever seen in any Rose.
It is a tremendous grower, the best in our entire list of over 800 varieties. If you have a place where other Roses have failed in that spot, Charles Dingee will flourish and will produce its gorgeous flowers with wonderful profusion. We have had it growing and blooming in all its glory in a temperature very little above freezing. Growing to a height of 2 to 3 feet, Charles Dingee blooms continuously, producing immense, deep, double, grandly formed flowers on long, stiff, erect stems; both in bud and bloom their beauty is nothing short of superb, practically impossible to describe because of the delicate blending of colors - rose tints in the center of flower, gradually shading off into pale blush creamy white, a color effect both entirely new and distinct.
CAUTION We are the originators and sole owners of the Charles Dingee Rose. Imitations and so called duplicates of it are intended to deceive.


From the "Dingee Guide to Rose Culture", 1918, page 3.

Very interesting that it is only 2-3 feet high.
Do you think that HMF should have separate entries for 'Charles Dingee' and 'William R. Smith'?

Thanks!