Doyle Smith to Retire Later this Year

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January 28, 1999

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Edward Doyle Smith, Jr., a fixture in the University of Virginia Athletic Media Relations Office since 1968, has announced he will retire later this year. A specific date for Smith’s retirement has not been determined, but it will be sometime after the end of the 1998-99 academic year.

The 54-year-old Smith joined the Virginia athletic media relations office staff on a part-time basis during the 1968-69 academic year and became a full-time staff member as UVa’s Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director in 1972. He was promoted to Associate Athletic Media Relations Director in 1976.

“Doyle Smith is one of those rare people who adds something to everyone’s life that he touches and to every professional situation in which he is engaged,” said Virginia Athletic Director Terry Holland. “Doyle’s dedication to this University and our department can not be replaced, and we will miss him greatly. We are pleased that Doyle will stay in Charlottesville and know we will still see him regularly.”

During his tenure at Virginia, Smith has worked with most of UVa’s intercollegiate athletic teams, but he is best known for his work with the men’s lacrosse team. He has worked with the UVa men’s lacrosse program since 1969 and was the information director for the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) from 1973-95. The USILA’s annual media award is named the Doyle Smith Media Award in his honor. Smith has been honored as the USILA’s Man of the Year twice (1984 and 1993), has received the USILA’s Service Award (1981) and the General Gelston Award from HERO’S INC. He has served on several USILA committees, was editor of the NCAA Lacrosse Guide from 1974-79 and was the coordinator of official statistics for the semifinal and championship games of the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament for many years. Smith is a frequent contributor to lacrosse publications and was among the first 10 individuals selected to the Virginia Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

In recognition of his contributions to collegiate lacrosse, Smith was named honorary team manager for the NCAA’s 25th Anniversary Lacrosse Team in 1995. The team was selected by current and former NCAA lacrosse coaches and NCAA lacrosse committee members.

Smith received the Evan “Bus” Male Service Award in 1982, recognizing his untiring and devoted service to UVa athletics, and the Virginia men’s lacrosse team’s award for the individual with the highest grade point average each year is named in his honor.

“Doyle Smith has been a dedicated and loyal member of the Virginia athletic media relations staff for the last 30 years,” said UVa Athletic Media Relations Director Rich Murray. “His contributions to the office, to the department and to the University are too numerous to mention. Doyle’s work with intercollegiate lacrosse is well documented and his historical reference concerning Virginia athletics is invaluable. He is a friend as well as a colleague, and I hope he continues to contribute his expertise to Virginia athletics in his retirement.”

Smith was born in Bend, Ore., and graduated from Corvallis High School. He is a 1966 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a major in history and he is a member of ODK National Leadership Fraternity. Smith received the Barton Cup as the outstanding student in his class at Johns Hopkins and shared the H Club Cup for contributing the most to athletics at Johns Hopkins. He earned three letters at Johns Hopkins as a manager and statistician with the lacrosse team. Smith earned a master’s degree in American History at Johns Hopkins in 1968 and enrolled at Virginia for graduate work in the fall of 1968.

He is a member of the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) and has won several CoSIDA writing awards. He is also a member of the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID). Smith has been a member of the board of the University of Virginia Community Credit Union since 1983 and is a member of the board of the Charlottesville Lacrosse Foundation.

Lacrosse Scholarship Established in Smith’s Name
A lacrosse scholarship has been created in Doyle Smith’s name at the University of Virginia. Contributions to the scholarship fund can be made through the Virginia Student Aid Foundation (VSAF). Checks should be made payable to the Virginia Student Aid Foundation and sent to the following address:

• Virginia Student Aid Foundation (E. Doyle Smith Scholarship Fund)
  P.O. Box 7525
  Charlottesville, VA 22906