Year Inducted: 2018 (p)
Nominated By: Paul D. Conatore
Sports Competed In: Basketball, Baseball, Football
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Athlete
High School:
Attended Pueblo Central High School from 1964-67 where he played basketball, baseball and football programs...Three year letterman in basketball and baseball and earnd two letters playing football for the Wildcats scoring five touchdowns.
College:
Smith went onto earn a bachelor of science degree in business management at Kansas State Unversity and played basketball for the Wildcats.
Achievements:
Co-captain 1966-67 basketball team...Set all-time school and all-city record 504 rebounds...Scored 54 points in 1964-65 State Class AAA Championship tournament, averaging 18.0 points per game... Scored career-high 29 points in a 1965-66 game...Scored 23 points in the 1965-66 120-point game that set a city, conference and state record...South-Central League Champion and State Class AAA Runner-up Team, 1964-65.
Played on Kansas State's Big Eight Conference Championship team, and in 1970 NCAA sweet sixteen and regional third-place game.
Contributions:
Listed in the Who's Who Among Black Americans. Received "Outstanding Young Man in America," and "Man of Distinction" awards. Recognized, along with Terry Snider and Ron Smith, for their era being one of the "Great Moments" in Pueblo sports history by the GPSA in 2010.
After graduating in 1971 from Kansas State with a bachelor of science in business management, Smith began a long and distinguished public service career in city government attaining the position of Deputy County Administrator for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas. He joined the Kansas City government in 1972, and by 1974, he was Coordinator of the Manpower Services Planning Department. He then headed numerous offices, serving as Director of Community Development, Neighborhood Preservation and Housing departments.
In 1999, Smith was named Administrative Support Director for the consolidated government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City. He managed the clerk's and appraiser's offices, human resources and logistics departments, and the historical museum. Smith served on a number of civic and professional boards, as well as, being consultant for the National Conference of Mayors, and the Community Development Training Institute, which designed training programs in public-private partnerships for city governments across the country. Smith's professional career spanned 30 years.
Affiliations:
Smith remained active in basketball after his career at Kansas State University, refereeing high school and college games.
Personal:
Eddie was born in Pueblo, CO and lived in the area for 18 years...He passed away on Nov. 11, 2002 at age 53.
