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).
AJ (Bedwell) and Patrick Prawitz
AJ (Bedwell) and Patrick Prawitz met in spring 2004 as castmates of the musical, Annie Get Your Gun. “I was…
From Miners to olympians
Two alumni have worked their way into the Olympics through hard work and determination. Tyrone Smith and Shawn Wallace both…
Amanda (Kay Hansen) and Chris Byrd
It was a fire drill at TJ Residence Hall in September 1999 that first brought Amanda (Kay Hansen) and Chris…
Samantha (Somers) and Scott Holcomb
Samantha (Somers) and Scott Holcomb first met as they were trying to catch the last bus back to campus after…
The ‘steam locomotive’ of printers
When Philip Chen joined Xerox Corp. in 1967, only big companies could afford printers and scanners. Now retired and with…
Suzanna Long: An ‘80s alumna remembers
Engineering management Chair Suzanna Long, who holds four degrees from the university...