04/23/2025
In 1975 James Waldon Smith* was elected president of Greenville Technical College student government association. He made cultural history at that time to hold that position. He was a 1967 graduate of Washington High School and pre-law college transfer. In 1976 and again in 1977, he was named an Outstanding Young Man of America for recognition of outstanding professional achievement, superior leadership ability and exceptional service to the community.James W. Smith* attended Sterling High 1963-1965 and graduated from Washington High School in 1967. While there he lettered in Varsity Basketball. It was making the team at Washington High School, that he considers his best athletic accomplishment. At his induction ceremony into the Piedmont Athletic Association Hall of Fame*; James credits his making the Washington High Basketball team to his becoming a relative success in life. After graduating high school Smith joined the U.S. Air force where he played basketball from 1968-1972. Washington High School was a class AA school, but it had most certainly produced some of Greenville, S. C. most gifted and superior talented athletes. As a matter of fact: Roy Kirksey* (New York Jets) and Willie Belton* (Atlanta Falcons), to name just two. Both of those guys were James Smith* basketball teammates in high school. Smith played guard behind Belton mostly and he recalled one impossible to forget game against Lincoln High School; it was early in the 1st quarter. Something happen, Coach Eddie Jones* took Belton out of the game and Smith was put in the game. Smith was fouled shooting a jump shot; and was on the free throw line shooting two. He misses the first free throw and misses the second free throw. The official blew his whistle and awards Smith two more free throw shots. Smith misses the third shot and he misses the fourth shot. Four free throw misses in a row. Mr. Smith in his retirement years did not miss successfully making the team with the Martin Webb Learning Center. Its program of study enables persons of all levels of training and expertise to expand their insight and perspective in biblical studies and/or ministry. In 2014 James W Smith* was unanimously nominate by the PAA Board of Directors and selected for induction into the Piedmont Athletic Association Hall of Fame*. His selection highlights the unique mission and purpose of the Hall of Fame to seek to preserve the rich athletic history of the community. . (NOTE: Critics want more statistics supporting any player being named to a Hall of Fame other then the fact the player was on the Championship team. High schools have always been rumored to recruit and persuaded athletes’ parents to move into their attendance zone and build their championship teams with the best talented players in the city. That did not happen in this story.)Smith’s sports credentials run with deeper roots, buried in the City of Greenville’s youth athletic programs. Sports historians will say it was in grade school were James Waldon Smith* star shinned the brightest. Coach Elmer Brown* would pick him up and bring him to practice in Nicholtown and the Green Forest Park side of Greenville. Smith was a quarterback in little league football. Of his little league teammates, some were from Madison Street/Greenline side of the city. The biggest cross-town rival was a very tuff little league football team called the “Civitan Chiefs”. The little league football games were mostly played at Mayberry Park. (now UNITY PARK) The youth athletic program of the city cultivated, refined and prepared young grade school boys for high school sports and like James W. Smith*, some of them became play ground legends.
