GREENVILLE - Former Greenville University President Robert “Ish” Smith passed away Wednesday, August 18, 2021, following a recent illness. He was 85.
He presided over Greenville College from 1993-1998. Students from the Smith era remember him urging them to practice servant leadership, a hallmark of his tenure as president.
He was married to Joanna, who preceded him in death in 2018.
Ish transferred to Greenville College from Central College in 1955. GC Coach John Strahl tapped him immediately to help manage athletic teams and coach. Strahl later guided Ish to pursue a master’s degree and then coach at Strahl’s alma mater, Taylor University. In 1961, Ish returned to Greenville to coach and head the physical education department. He seized additional administrative opportunities that came his way, and the opportunity to pursue his doctorate.
Ish served with U.S.A and World baseball organizations from 1977 until 1993 and guided baseball into the 1984 Olympics. He was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame on February 11, 2019.
When service information is available, it will be shared at Greenville.edu/news.
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Greenville University is an accredited Christian liberal arts university with more than 1,100 students, including traditional undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree completion students. Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the University is located in Greenville, Illinois, 45 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri. Visit www.greenville.edu.
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