Biography

Hoke L. Smith was born in Galesburg, Illinois in 1931. In 1953, he received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Knox College, also in Galesburg. He earned a master’s degree in 1954 in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in political science from Emory University in 1958. Early in Smith's administration, he focused on Towson's status as a "comprehensive university." One of the first changes was the creation of a new governance structure and establishment of six colleges. With public higher education seriously under-funded, especially during the global recession in the early 1990s, Smith set out to strengthen alumni and development programs as a source of alternative funding. To underscore the reduction in funding Towson received from the State, Smith advocated dropping the word “State” from the school’s name, and in 1997, the name changed to Towson University. During his administration, Towson added 20 new undergraduate programs, 19 new graduate programs and 3 doctoral programs. In 1996, U.S. World & News Report ranked Towson second in the "Most Efficient Schools" and fourth in the "Best Sticker Price" category for institutions in the north, and two years later, Towson was ranked among the top 10 public institutions in the North by that same publication. A man of integrity, vision and compassion, Dr. Smith's legacy to Towson was the national recognition the University received for its academic programs.

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