chance encounter becomes defining moment
Back in 1974, Alex Smith was a 27-year-old rookie development officer when he traveled to Norfolk to attend the annual conference of CASE, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Seated across the room in one of the sessions was Robert Bell Crow of Deerfield Academy, a venerable figure in independent school fund raising circles, and at a break Smith went over and introduced himself.
“Hello, Mr. Crow,” Smith recalls saying. “I’m new at development, and I wanted to meet you. “I’m Alex Smith from Richmond, Virginia. My school is Collegiate.”
“Well, Alex,” the legend answered politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Where did you say you were from?”
“The Collegiate Schools,” Smith repeated.
“Collegiate,” Mr. Crow responded without a trace of disdain. “Never heard of it.”
That chance encounter, told in Smith’s familiar, understated manner, was a transcendent experience in his career.
“Little did he know that he lit my professional fire,” said Smith, Collegiate’s vice-president for development.
“From that day forth, I decided that I would do my best to get Collegiate out front and keep it there, not so much in fund raising but enhancing the school’s reputation for excellence in all areas: academics, the arts, sports, teaching.”
Almost 30 years later, Smith’s efforts have paid huge dividends for Collegiate, but the impressive dollar amounts tell only part of the story.
Through the power of his presence and personal style, he’s achieved something that can’t be measured on a bank statement or annual report: he’s commanded the respect of those whose lives he’s touched.
Though he’d undoubtedly voice an objection, he is now the legend, and last Sunday, he was in Boston to receive the prestigious Robert Bell Crow Memorial Award, one of four independent school awards presented annually by CASE. The honor is public recognition for a career of professional achievement and distinguished service to both Collegiate and the fund raising profession.
His colleagues and his many friends in the Collegiate community, most of whom could fill volumes with vignettes noting his love for the school and his care for others, have recognized those attributes for years.
“For Alex to receive this award is big time,” said Donald E. Craig, president of Donald E. Craig & Associates, a fund raising consulting firm based in Williamsburg. “In terms of his professional ability, he’s one of the most hard working, creative guys in the field. He’s a man of deep integrity and conscience and a role model in the profession.
“He’s absolutely respected in the independent school marketplace and is considered right at the top of excellence. This award is a tribute to him and to Collegiate.”
Since Smith, a 1965 Collegiate graduate, moved from the classroom and athletic field to head the development office, he has managed four capital campaigns that have raised nearly $50-million. In the 1974-75 fiscal year, annual giving efforts raised $101,000. In 2001, the campaign generated $1.2-million. That first year, giving from all sources totaled $500,000. In 2001, the figure approached $7.25-million. Under his watch, donors have pledged $8-million in planned gifts, and endowment has grown to $25-million.
“I suspect that few of the past recipients of the Crow Award have a track record that compares to Alex’s accomplishments at Collegiate,” said Keith Evans, head of school. “He has played a key role in the development of our campus and the growth of our endowment not just over years, but decades. “He has done it all with grace, good will, and humility. That is what makes his work especially important to the school.”
