RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech Department of Athletics is saddened by the recent passing of its former legendary sports information director, Larry Smith.
A 2023 ATU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, Smith was born in Grand Saline, Texas, on November 10, 1939, to Johnnie and Lois Smith. He graduated with honors from Grand Saline High School in 1957, Tyler Junior College in 1959 and from what is now known as the University of North Texas in 1961. He was a member of the jazz band and the marching band at Tyler Junior College, and it was during that same time in his life that he played drums for Jerry Lee Lewis during a concert. "The Killer" offered him the gig for the remainder of the tour, but fate was pointing Larry in another direction.
From the time he was hired at Arkansas A&M College (today's University of Arkansas at Monticello) in 1961 until his retirement from Arkansas Tech in 2005, Larry invented and continuously refined the art of athletics communications in the state of Arkansas. He worked more than 7,600 sporting events during his 35 years as a sports information director. Between his stints at UAM (1961-78) and ATU (1987-2005), he won numerous awards as managing editor and sports editor of the Advance Monticellonian newspaper in Monticello from 1978-86 and the Dumas Clarion newspaper from 1986-87.
Larry's tenure at UAM extended far beyond the world of sports information. He also contributed to the campus as a member of the Civil Air Patrol, as the founder of The Knights men's service organization and The Countesses women's service organization and as the organizer of the Miss Arkansas A&M Pageant, Arkansas A&M spring musicals and the Arkansas A&M spring choir tours, including a trip to the 1968 World's Fair in San Antonio.
Upon his employment at Arkansas Tech in 1987, Larry worked tirelessly to build the historical records of the athletics department, its student-athletes and its coaches. Throughout his 18 years at Arkansas Tech, Larry advocated for Wonder Boys and Golden Suns by successfully nominating them for a wide variety of awards, writing compelling stories about their achievements and serving as a gracious host for opposing coaches, sports information personnel and athletic trainers, as well as members of the media.
His greatest professional joy came when a student-athlete earned a regional or national award for academic and athletic excellence, which was a regular occurrence. Those who were fortunate enough to work with him or be mentored by him as student workers will forever remember his attention to detail, the generosity of his spirit and his encyclopedic knowledge of the best pies in a multi-state region.
Larry achieved the highest distinction in his profession --- induction into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame --- in 2000.
He received the UAM Spirit Award (2016), the CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), the Clarence "Ike" Pearson Award from the NAIA SID Association (1989) and the NAIA Award of Merit (1976). He was among those honored by the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame when Arkansas Tech's 1992 and 1993 NAIA national championship women's basketball teams were inducted into the ASHOF in 2016.
Larry served as national press coordinator for the NAIA Track and Field Championships from 1973-1978 and was a Heisman Trophy voter for many years. His publications as a sports information director captured 51 national awards, including 12 best-in-nation commendations.
Wally Hall, sports editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, paid tribute to Larry upon his retirement in 2005. He wrote that Larry was "a quiet, unassuming man" and "one of those super organized guys who found no job too large or too small."
Larry was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame (1980) and the Arkansas Tech Athletic Hall of Fame (2023).
He was a member of the First Baptist Church and Optimist Club in Monticello, and First Baptist Church in Russellville, where he was a member of the Young at Heart Club, wrote the club's newsletter and was a greeter.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Donna; their two children, James Douglas Smith (Kandy) of Dallas, Texas, and Beverly Saffold of London; their grandchildren, Kyle Saffold (Amber) of Springdale, Allison Morman (Ted) of Prescott, Brittany Jones (Daniel) of Austin, Texas, and Sam Smith of Lubbock, Texas; and their great-grandchildren, Mac, Cole and Oliver Morman of Prescott, Ellery Saffold of Springdale and Callie Rose and Henry Jones of Austin.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at the Shinn Chapel with the Rev. Greg Sykes, the Rev. Keith Shipley, the Rev. Mike Cloud and the Rev. Stephen Davis officiating under the direction of Shinn Funeral Service of Russellville. Burial will be private in Woodside Cemetery in Grand Saline, Texas.
The family will receive friends immediately following the service in the chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 36, Russellville, AR 72811.
Online guestbook and condolences available at www.shinnfuneral.com.
