The St. Louis Region has lost a great business leader and pioneer for education. Atty. Wayman F. Smith III served as a member of the Harris-Stowe State University Board of Regents for 21 years, and as chairman for 12 of those years (1989-2010). He also initiated the first major corporate sponsorship of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Celebration Commission of Missouri.
During Atty. Smith’s tenure as chairman of Harris-Stowe, the College expanded from one building and one degree to a status of University with six buildings, a new Business School campus in South St. Louis, 14 degree programs, doubled full-time faculty and tripled student enrollment. Chairman Smith’s leadership assisted Harris-Stowe’s first major fundraising project to the level of $45 million.
Chairman Wayman F. Smith III was one of the founding members of Harris-Stowe’s African American Business Leadership Council (AABLC), chaired by David Steward. The AABLC is an alliance of African-American business leaders who support the Harris-Stowe State University Business Administration program with their personal resources and business know-how. The AABLC raised more than $400,000 in scholarships for business school students.
Upon his retirement, Chairman Wayman F. Smith III was presented an Honorary Doctorate Degree by the Harris-Stowe State University Board of Regents.