Rhodes College Athletics

After graduating from East Grand Rapids (Michigan) High School in June 1941, Harland Smith had to decide where he would continue his education. Harland’s father had been in Memphis about six months setting up a facility for an asphalt company. He told Harland about this small school where he could get a great education and play sports. So Harland Smith decided to head South and enroll at Southwestern, where he became one of the all-time great Lynx athletes.

Like a lot of small colleges during World War II, Southwestern suspended its football program at the beginning of the war. Harland participated in basketball and track for two years at Southwestern. Knowing he would be asked to join the armed forces, he took the advice of Dr. Peyton Rhodes and joined a new weatherman program being organized by the U.S. Army Air Corps. He faithfully served his country from March 1943 through March 1946. After the war concluded, Southwestern reinstituted its football program and Harland Smith was the star quarterback on the 1946 team. He threw the winning touchdown pass in the Lynx 15-6 Homecoming victory.

Perhaps Harland’s best sport was baseball, but Southwestern did not field a team while he was in school. That didn’t stop Harland from pursuing his dream. In 1942 he pitched for the Motor Wheel Corporations summer league team, and along with Lynx great Billy Speros, won the Memphis City Championship. After graduating from Southwestern he played one season of basketball for the Coca-Cola Bottlers. Harland continued to play slow-pitch softball and basketball in a men’s church league until he was sixty-five.

Now residing in Jackson, Tennessee, Harland Smith taught physical fitness and weight training at the YMCA at the age of 80. For the inspiration he provided to his teammates as a multisport athlete, his achievement as a dedicated scholar and the service he has given to his community, we are honored to induct HARLAND LEE SMITH into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame on this 19th day of October, 2007.