By Kevin Jefferies
Commerce – A long-time faculty athletic representative for A&M-Commerce when it was known as East Texas State Teacher's College has been named to the Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor. Lewis Ingraham Smith was instrumental in the formation of the LSC in 1931 and served as its first president until 1936. He also served in the position from 1945 to 1950. Along with L.E. King of Sam Houston State and Theron Fouts of North Texas State, Smith authored the LSC Constitution.
He served as business manager and mathematics professor at the University from 1917 until 1951, and served as athletic representative most of his tenure. He was inducted into A&M-Commerce's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981.
Smith also served as mayor of Commerce, was a founding member of the Commerce Lions Club, was a leader in the Commerce Boy Scouts, and president of the Lone Star Area Council of BSA.
Smith joins A&M-Kingsville's Fred Neusch and West Texas A&M's Julie Myatt O'Dell as the 2005 class of the Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor.