Philander Smith College celebrates 14th president

Lynda Bird presents Roderick Smothers with the Presidents’ Medallion during his investiture ceremony Saturday at Philander Smith College in Little Rock.
Lynda Bird presents Roderick Smothers with the Presidents’ Medallion during his investiture ceremony Saturday at Philander Smith College in Little Rock.

A few hundred people gathered in a campus auditorium Saturday afternoon as Philander Smith College officials bestowed honors on the school's president of the past eight months, Roderick Smothers.

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Joseph Reese sings a solo during a performance with the Huston-Tillotson University Concert Choir during the investiture ceremony Saturday for Roderick Smothers, who officially became the 14th president of Philander Smith College.

The ceremony -- called an investiture -- was a celebration of Smothers, his goals and the small Little Rock college.

Smothers was hired Oct. 1, 2014, to be the historically black college's 14th president. He started the job in January.

In the past eight months, the school has raised more than $500,000 for scholarships for students, decided to start a school for allied and public health, and reimagined its teacher education program to produce teachers with the cultural skills needed to work in the toughest classrooms, Smothers said.

"We are moving Philander forward," he said.

Smothers grew up in Vidalia, La., with a single mother and two sisters. He joined the Air Force after high school to make his college education more affordable, and he earned three degrees at Louisiana State University: a bachelor's degree in psychology, a master's degree in public administration and a doctoral degree in educational leadership, research and counseling.

He has been on the faculty at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and held administrative positions at South Louisiana Community College, Louisiana State University, Langston University in Oklahoma and Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas.

Now at Philander Smith College, Smothers has offered to have one-on-one sessions with students and has encouraged them to dream big, referencing the adage that if people's dreams don't scare them, the dreams aren't big enough.

"Your dreams have been full of excitement," Smothers said at Saturday's ceremony.

He said historically black colleges and universities have the challenge of educating students who historically have not been as educated as some others, but his life's mission is to help students.

Smothers' speech was met with applause and a standing ovation. It was preceded by several short speeches praising him for his vision and abilities.

"We are confident at The United Negro College Fund that he will bring his strengths and leadership skills here at Philander Smith College," said Michael Lomax, president and chief executive officer of the philanthropic organization, which funds scholarships for black students.

"What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man," said Maurice Gipson, assistant vice chancellor for diversity at Arkansas State University, who said Smothers was a mentor to him when Gipson was a student at Louisiana State University.

"He is the real deal," Gipson said, after telling a story about a time Smothers gave his shoes to another man who needed them.

Smothers also was presented with a resolution from the Arkansas Legislature supporting him during his presidency.

Another speaker -- Alberta Mayberry, the former U.S. Consul General in Cape Town, South Africa -- announced that Saturday was Roderick L. Smothers Sr. Appreciation Day in Langston, Okla., where she resides and where Smothers worked as vice president for institutional advancement at Langston University.

After that announcement, emcee Bishop Gary Mueller told Smothers that he was hearing more compliments Saturday than most people get to hear so early in their lives.

"You are getting to enjoy your funeral long before it happens," Mueller said.

Metro on 08/30/2015

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