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Timeline: Clif Smart
Clifton M. “Clif” Smart III, who turns 63 on Saturday, was born in Blytheville, Arkansas. He grew up in Fayetteville and was valedictorian of his high school class.
He and wife Gail have been married 37 years. They have two sons, Murray and Jim, and six grandchildren.
1983 − Earned bachelor’s degree in political science from Tulane University, graduating with a 4.0 GPA.
1986 − Earned juris doctorate degree from Arkansas School of Law, earning the second-highest GPA in the school’s history at the time.
1986 − Began career assigned to the Trial Defense Service in U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
1990 − Hired as associate at Wright, Lindsey & Jennings law firm.
1992 − Hired at The Strong Law Firm, where Smart became shareholder and vice president. He moved to Springfield and represented, among others, the Lester E. Cox Medical Center now known as CoxHealth.
2002 & 2004 − Selected to the panel of three applicants submitted to the governor for vacant Missouri Supreme Court positions.
2007 − Selected to serve as general counsel at Missouri State. He took the job to have more time to travel and spend with his wife and sons.
2009 − Elected one of two lawyer members of the 31st Circuit Judicial Commission.
2011 − Tapped to serve as interim president at Missouri State for 16 months.
2012 − Named 11th president of Missouri State.
More:End of an era: Missouri State University president Clif Smart to retire from ‘job I love’
Presidential highlights
Since Smart took the top leadership role in 2011, Missouri State has marked the following records, milestones and other accomplishments:
- Set new records for MSU undergraduate, graduation, underrepresented and international student enrollment.
- Achieved record state funding including separate appropriation to catch university up after record enrollment.
- Completed the two largest fundraising campaigns in university history, $167 million and $274 million.
- Raised more than $160 million in federal, state and private funds in past two years to renovate and expand the science and health care facilities.
- Became doctoral granting university recognized by State of Missouri, Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education and Higher Learning Commission.
- Reorganized academic structure to better promote interdisciplinary work, reduce inefficiency and administrative costs.
- Collaborated with the University of Missouri to offer engineering and pharmacy programs in Springfield.
- Doubled the number of terminal degree programs offered, adding Master of Fine Arts programs and Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Psychology and Defense and Strategic Studies programs.
- Raised tuition and fees by less than inflation while reducing number of hours required to graduate, 120 down from 126.
- Continued to develop IDEA Commons including Brick City, the Plaster Center for Free Enterprise (eFactory), and the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center.
- Increased the diversity of faculty and staff and established the Bear Bridge mentoring program.
- Improved support for underrepresented students by building new gathering spaces, creating a bias response team and launching a new mentoring program for first-year students.
- Relocated the national headquarters of SAAB (the Student African American Brotherhood) to campus.
- Launched programs for developmentally disabled students to enroll at both campuses.
- Built new campus facilities including Magers Health and Wellness Center, Davis-Harrington Welcome Center, Allison North and South Stadiums, the Foster Family Recreation Center, the O’Reilly Clinical Health Sciences Center, and John Goodman Amphitheater.
- Renovated existing facilities including Ellis, Glass, Hill, Kampeter, and Pummill Halls and Plaster Stadium.
- Partnered with Springfield Public Schools to build an agricultural magnet school at Darr College of Agriculture.
- Entered a public-private partnership to build and open the first new residence hall in more than 30 years.
Professional, civic activities
Smart has lived in Springfield for more than two decades and has long been involved in the community. Currently, this is where he volunteers his time:
- Missouri Council on Public Higher Education (past chair and past vice-chair)
- Missouri Valley Conference Presidents Council (past chair and current expansion committee chair)
- Missouri Valley Football Conference Presidents Council (chair)
- Missouri Partnership (vice-chair)
- Hawthorn Foundation
- Mercy Health Springfield Communities
- City Utilities of Springfield Board of Public Utilities
- United Way of the Ozarks (immediate past chair)
- Springfield Innovation, Inc.
- Downtown Rotary Club
More:Gov. Parson, retired Sen. Blunt react to Clif Smart’s plans to retire from Missouri State
Presidential longevity
At Missouri State University, Smart is the longest-serving president since Roy Ellis’ lengthy tenure ended in 1961. He will retire June 30 after 13 years, including 16 months as the interim, narrowly edging out the tenures of John Keiser (1993-2005) and Duane Meyer (1971-1983).
For current college presidents in the Springfield area, Smart has the second-longest tenure. Hiring dates for university presidents in the area include:
- 2006 − Hal Higdon, Ozarks Technical Community College
- 2011 − Clif Smart, Missouri State University
- 2017 − Amy Wutke, Cox College
- 2021 − Mike Rakes, Evangel University
- 2021 − Richard Melson, Southwest Baptist University
- 2022 − Brad Johnson, College of the Ozarks
- 2023 − John Beuerlein, interim, Drury University
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