Louis Smith, EE’66, president of AlliedSignal Inc., gave the commencement address to the graduating class in the spring 1993. The forerunner dared students to step up to leadership opportunities and accept the challenge.
He recalled, when a young engineer for AlliedSignal, his friends were talking about their goals and, when asked, Smith said that he wanted to be president of the division.
“My friends laughed at me and said ‘there is no way an African American will ever be president of this place,’” says Smith. “I still see some of those people and many still have the same job they had then — they saw themselves as limited.”
Smith’s advice for the 1993 class was to set high standards, capitalize on opportunities, focus on customers, reward teamwork, continuously improve and give back more than you receive.
Share This Story
Spark a Memory?
Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).
Chase Barnes and Auburn Meister
Chase Barnes met Auburn Meister during Opening Week in August 2015 at his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. “We kept hanging…
Andrea (Clements) and Zachary Weber
Andrea (Clements) Weber, a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, met her husband, Zachary, when one of her sorority sisters…
Keith and Bobbie (Smith) Wedge
Keith Wedge met his future wife, Bobbie (Smith), in November 1967 while he was helping establish a chapter of Pi…
Makayla (Appel) and Sebastian Klesing
Makayla (Appel) and Sebastian Klesing met through the Air Force ROTC program during the fall 2015 semester. “We were acquaintances…
Building a legacy of mechanical engineering
A registered professional engineer, John Toomey, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering in 1949 and 1951, founded…
Anika (Stuckenschneider) and Jacob (Wang) Careaga
Anika (Stuckenschneider) met Jacob (Wang) Careaga during the spring of 1996 when he came over to her Kappa Delta sorority…