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Allison Smith, left, was one of four current or former members of the Missouri State University Board of Governors who gathered for a photo prior to the 2015 commencement ceremony at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP). Joining her, from left, were then current member Peter Hofherr, St. James, and former members Jerry Hall and Mary Hass Schrag, both of West Plains. (MSU-WP Photo)

University officials remember Allison Smith

Smith was a ‘dear friend’ of the West Plains campus and will be missed.

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Missouri State University (MSU) officials at both the Springfield and West Plains campuses today are mourning the death of former Board of Governors member and long-time supporter Allison Smith.

Smith passed away Wednesday morning at her home.

“Missouri State University had a true champion in Allison Smith,” said MSU System President Clif Smart. “Her desire to improve educational opportunities for our students, especially those at Missouri State-West Plains (MSU-WP), colored every decision she made as a member of our Board of Governors and as a supporter of the university. We will miss her passion for and dedication to Missouri State University for years to come.”

“Allison Smith was a dear friend of Missouri State-West Plains and an exceptional board member for Missouri State University during the 1990s, and she will be missed by many of us here who call her our friend and colleague,” said MSU-WP Interim Chancellor Dennis Lancaster.

“She loved life and thought education was a key to that good life. While a member of the board, she was instrumental in so many things during a critical time for the university. For me personally, she was a friend well before we connected at Missouri State-West Plains, and I will miss her intelligence and guidance which I came to admire and to depend. Our hearts go out to Travis and Chase and their families,” he added.

Smith’s ties to the university were strong

Smith’s first association with the university came in the 1980s when she joined the faculty as a per course English instructor, a position she filled until 1994. In 1995, she was appointed to a six-year term on the MSU Board of Governors. She served as the board’s vice president in 1998 and its president in 1999.

During her tenure on the board, Smith earned the reputation as a knowledgeable, responsible and caring leader and steward of student and taxpayer dollars. As a result, the MSU System, and MSU-WP in particular, made great strides in growth and developing successful graduates.

As president of the then Southwest Missouri State University Board of Governors, Allison Smith spoke at many functions for the university, such as this dedication of the public affairs building at the Springfield campus in the late 1990s. Among the guests attending the event was then Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan, seated far left next to then SMSU President John Keiser. (Photo provided by the Smith Family)

Accomplishments at MSU-WP

At the West Plains campus alone, its student population increased 57%, its budget increased 109%, and its private giving doubled during her time on the board.

The campus further established itself as an autonomous part of the system, receiving its own accreditation and conferring its own degrees at its own spring commencement ceremony during Smith’s tenure. Even after completing her service on the board in early 2002, Smith made every effort to attend the campus’ commencement ceremonies and assist with the presentation of diplomas.

MSU-WP also saw construction of its first and second classroom buildings, Melton Hall in 1995 and the Lybyer Technology Center in 2000, while Smith served on the board, and she staunchly supported the effort to establish extended campuses of MSU-WP in other areas of south-central Missouri. That support led to the establishment of the Mountain Grove Extended Campus at Shannon Hall in 1995. 

Smith was among the first to see the merits of establishing an educational center at Liaoning Normal University in Dalian, China, which is utilized by both the Springfield and West Plains campuses to offer education abroad opportunities to students. Since its opening in 2000, the educational center has given many MSU-WP students their first experiences of living and learning in another country.

One of the most outstanding accomplishments during Smith’s tenure on the board, however, was the development of completion programs for several of MSU’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees at MSU-WP through the Outreach Program. Keenly aware of the demands of home, family and job that many students in south-central Missouri face, Smith spearheaded the effort to bring these programs to the West Plains campus so these students could achieve their educational goals.

Gifts to the West Plains campus

Smith and her family also put their financial support behind the university, contributing to numerous already established scholarships and establishing their own scholarships for students. Scholarships they established include:

  • Allison London Smith Endowed Scholarship, 1998
  • Travis and Chase Smith Grizzly Scholarship Fund, 2001
  • Dr. Bruce Mitchell Smith Endowed Scholarship, 2002 

A lasting tribute to Smith’s support of and efforts on behalf of MSU-WP can be seen in the Smith-London Centennial Bell Tower which stands watch over the campus. Gifted to the university by Smith’s family in 2005, the 40-foot masonry structure honors the London and Smith families whose members have served the community and the country in a variety of capacities.

Memorial services for Allison Smith will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 28, at the MSU-WP amphitheater at the foot of the Smith-London Centennial Bell Tower near the intersection of West Main Street and Franklin Avenue just west of the Lybyer Technology Center. In case of inclement weather, the service will be held in Hass-Darr Hall at the corner of Missouri and Cass Avenues on the MSU-WP campus.