FIRST INDIVIDUAL ALUMNUS DONATES $100,000 TO UAPB

SPECIAL TO THE COMMERCIAL

John E. Smith recently became the first individual alumni donor to give $100,000 to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

According to the Office of University Relations and Development, Smith, a graduate of 1961, became the first alumnus in the school’s history to make a contribution of that magnitude.

Recently, Smith described his experiences growing up on what was then Arkansas AM&N College’s campus. When asked what compelled him to make the donation, Smith recalled his formative years at UAPB.

“Growing up, the campus was literally my front yard,” Smith said. “I grew up in Pine Bluff, my parents met and fell in love on that campus, and when I was 8 or 9 years old, my mom re-entered college and began taking classes to complete her graduation requirements.”

Smith and UAPB’s chancellor, Dr. Lawrence A. Davis Jr., were childhood friends.

“I remember one time,” Smith said chuckling, “I borrowed my stepfather’s golf clubs. Dr. Davis, his brother Larnell and I, built us a 6 hole golf course and we started playing golf right there on the yard!”

Having developed an affinity for math at a young age, Smith went on to graduate with a double major in math and chemistry.

Smith then taught high school mathematics in the St. Louis Public School System while at the same time pursuing a graduate program in mathematics at St. Louis University and later at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Smith described the moment on June 4, 1968, California presidential primary elections, that changed the course of his professional career forever.

“I was in Los Angeles preparing for a job interview with American Airlines when later that evening the news broke of Sen. Robert Kennedy’s assassination. I was so shaken by the news I decided I did not want to live in Los Angeles — despite the fact that the next day I was offered the job. I returned to New Jersey on that Friday, June 7th, to make my family aware of my decision to remain on the East Coast and pursue other opportunities. Some two months following that decision, I accepted a position with J.P. Morgan Inc. in their trust and investment division.

“Here’s where a young man from AM&N College and Pine Bluff, Ark., began to learn the big time game of major league investing. It was here when some of my long held but quiet deams of getting to ‘Wall Street’ began to blossom.”

Smith spent 16 years at J.P. Morgan, one of the world’s leading financial institutions, and due to his position, Smith got to meet a number of America ’s top corporate CEOs the likes of which a young man from Pine Bluff and AM&N had never ever dreamed.

By the fall of 1984, Smith had moved on to U.S.Tobacco (UST, today) formerly of Greenwich, Conn., to pursue other dreams in marketing and finance.

After reaching many of his goals in 12 years at UST, Smith elected early retirement in 1996.

“My mother taught me to give back to those who have helped me. I don’t know another organization I’d rather support,” he said of UAPB.

“On our 45th anniversary, my class pledged to each contribute $500 in order to present the school with a gift of $45,000,” said Smith. “The hard part was getting people to honor their commitments.”

The chancellor is grateful for Smith’s contribution.

“The university is indebted to Mr. Smith,” the chancellor said. “It only takes one person to get the momentum of giving started. Smith has certainly raised the bar for [them].”

Smith encourages other alumni to also give back and hopes to hear similar testimonials from future award recipients.

He has earmarked his donation into these three areas: