Robert Smith
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will present posthumously the 2009 Sam Owen Award to Robert Smith on Homecoming Day, Oct. 3, at the Perkinston Campus. The award is an honor bestowed since 1956 to a community member who has actively supported the college and its ongoing mission to make a positive difference. The award will be presented to Smith’s wife, Diane, in a ceremony to be held in Malone Hall Auditorium at 1:30 p.m. Call the Alumni Office at 601-928-6288 or e-mail brenda.donahoe@mgccc.edu for more information.
Robert Thomas Smith
Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College, Perkinston Campus
September 1963—May 16, 1965
Robert Smith served as the director of Information Technology for more than 35 years at Gulf Coast. He also worked, after his retirement, for the president as special assistant for special projects and as legislative liaison until 2006. The college lost a great friend, employee and supporter when he died in 2007.
In a 1994 interview, Smith talked about his time as a Perk student: “My years at Perk…I just loved it, I loved it. There is nothing that can take the place of that time and that development. It was kind of like a big dumb kid who still hadn’t found where he needed to be yet, and Perk kind of found that for you. It was big enough to let you expand yet small enough where you knew the people and built camaraderie and friendships, and it was a place where people bonded together very well.”
In the same interview, Smith said that while an employee at the college, he did see things change as the college grew. One thing that did not change, he said, was the dedication to helping students succeed. “…generally speaking, I think people are still really concerned and have that feeling of helping people. We have gotten so much bigger that you don’t always see those situations…sometimes it is a little quieter done. We still have employees that help students financially and with other stuff. I still see [our personnel] reaching out and going the extra mile, that extra step to help people be successful.”
Smith graduated from Perkinston Junior College with an associate degree in data processing in 1965. He was immediately employed by the college as an instructor and lab assistant to work with the new computers automating some of the college systems. While he was initially at the Perkinston Campus, he soon moved, along with the Computer Center, to the Jefferson Davis Campus, where he worked until he retired in 2000.
His wife, Diane, lives in Gulfport. Their children include Robert Smith Jr. of Waveland, Steve Smith of Starkville, and Julie Cotton and Chris Smith, both of Destin, Fla.
