West Virginia University - Monticola Yearbook (Morgantown, WV)

Page 10 text:

v-T r-nr-jir- y.U UA J Ji 1 iL Ui r .% i. AC EARL H. SMITH In iiian - West ' ir jin ' a Cdnimunitics may 1ic fdiiiid members of tlie old gfiiard of Universitv students who are constantly boosting for their Alma ater. One of these is Colonel Earl H. Smith. Fairmont. It is a familiar sayino that during the seasons that West ' irginia University ' s football team was unknown, unsuccessful in winning its games, and unsung, just as, later, when our elevens are noted all over the country, he was a member of that little band who never missed a game, plaved either im the home field or abroad. This does not mean that his loyalty to the arsity was confined to its football activities, for he never lost an opportunity to be of service to the school in e ery manner possible. Colonel Smith loved to do these things because, in 1897 he entered the University. Except, during a period in 18 8, when the .Spanish American War called a number of men in school he was a member of the student body until 1900. During his stay in school lie was a willing worker in all student activities. He assisted in the management of teams in vogue at that time; in college dramatics, and in the affairs of the Cadet Corps. He was not only known by all of his fellow students but by the peojile of the town. Leaving college, Colonel .Smith joined his father who was en- gaged in the newspaper enterprise in Fairmont. He founded the Fairmont Times, one of the best known daily jjapers in the state of West ' irginia; edited its first issue and every other one of that ])aper until he left l- ' airmont in 1917 to enter the Wdild War. After he was discharged from active military duty late in L ' l ' ' , Colonel Smith was engaged to create a department of Public dela- tions for the Monongahela West Penn Public Service Com])any. that huge and ])opular corporation which supplies electric ])o er, lights, and transportatiim to a wide area in West ' irginia, Eastern Ohio and Western Marvland. His assignment was to make friends of the comjiany, its emiilovees and the public. In this enterprise he was highly successful. His company is now noted for the cordiality that now e.xists between it and the people it serves. In public service cor- ])oralion circles of the nation, this c impany stands (JUt as one which has solved the problem of ilealing in a friendly manner with its 1

Page 9 text:

S Jt WPM i!TOC jB )iWA iA M

Page 11 text:

WAWAUfUfUAUfUAUAL ® 9 e AONTICOLA O O O O O r ncAv ? E patrdiis. In Fairmont, the Colonel ' s fellow workers will tell xou that he can call every one of the fifteen hnndred emplo -ees of his company by their first names. It was in the Cadet Corps that Colonel Smith recei ' ed his first military training and he has been active in such circles since. He was Cadet Adjutant when he left school and he immediately enlisted in the ' est X irg-inia National Guard as a private. Step by step he was ])ronioted to the rank of major which he held when transferred to Federal service for duty in the World War. Desjiite the fact that for him it was a heavy financial sacrifice to leave Fairmont at the time when the nation and the world were demanding, for the war emergency, so many ]iroducts found in that city, he deserted many of his Inisiness associates and entered the army shortly after this country joined in the struggle. He went to l rance with a southern division — the thirty-ninth — and was transferred to the Fourth Corps to serve on the staff of the now famous American, General Charles P. Sum- merall, Ixith in France and in the Army of Occupation in (Germany. He was among the last of the West irginia soldiers to return home from foreign service. After his discharge from active duty. Colonel Smith affiliated with the CHficers Reserve Corps in which he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Recently he was commissioned Colonel in the ' est ' irginia National Guard and commanded by Governor Howard Gore to form the First West Virginia Infantry, a feat when accom- plished will mean the re-establishing of a famous organization which existed until the World War. Upon his return from aljroad. Colonel Smith was chosen com- mander of the American Legion Post just formed in Fairmont and the same year was elected Commander in the department of West Virginia, being the first state commander. His friends declare that Colonel Smith kucjws more West ' ir- ginians than any other citizen of the state and that among this host of friends he is chiefly noted for his willingness to boost at all times West ' irginia University and its activities. r=( ' VJ J