By Steve Woodhouse
Harry Smith was being heavily recruited as a football star when he graduated high school, but he went with Central College in Pella. The college and community had such an impact on him, they have – and will continue to – be a significant portion of his life.
Smith came to Central to play football under legendary Coach Ron Schipper. In an interview with the Express, he said he had “stacks” of offers for larger schools, but Central felt right.
“I think this little place is a better fit for me,” Smith said was his thought at the time. Smith played defensive end and a little bit of long snapper for the Dutch. But it was off the field that he “got corrupted intellectually” by the college.
Central lit the “Roman candle” of his curiosity and desire to learn. Curiosity happens to be the focal point of the 16-session seminar he will be teaching at Central, beginning in the fall.
As a student himself, he took as many different courses as he could – he was, and continues to be, eager to know more about as many topics as possible.
When asked how much of an impact Central College had on his successful, 40-year-plus career in broadcasting, he simply said, “huge.”
His ties back to Central have been strong since he earned his degree in 1973. For over 20 years, he has served on the college’s board.
But what made him decide to come back as a professor was the funeral service of the late Dr. Ken Weller. He was back two summers ago, for Weller’s funeral, and decided he would return to teach.
“There wasn’t a doubt,” Smith said.
Smith feels as though he has taught at Central before, but he can’t remember the specifics. While with NBC News, he taught writing classes to help young journalists there become stronger.
“If they do this (journalism), curiosity is the key,” he said. Other attributes one needs, with any career, is adaptability and resilience. Those are sometimes contradictory to the visions of the young people he has taught – many already have it in their minds the exact job they want to have after earning their degrees.
The reality is most college graduates will work in three different fields, hold at least a dozen different jobs and face changes beyond their control. Smith quoted the character Ron Burgundy, saying, “You have to keep your head on a swivel.”
“All I know is when I started at CBS almost 40 years ago, a camera guy said the best days are behind us,” Smith said. “People still want to know things.”
Smith sees the need for someone to pay attention to try to prevent things like tax increases and corruption – even in a relatively small town like Pella.
He was back in Pella four days last week and visited a few classes. The students kept him after class to ask questions and learn more.
“People that age have no real reason to know who I am,” Smith laughed. Most college students don’t watch television to get their news.
As Central President Mark Putnam stated weeks ago when it was announced Smith will teach a course in the fall; when Smith is in Pella, he’s just Harry. When he is back in town, he likes to visit the bicycle shop, visit with farmer friends, take a road trip to Storm Lake to see the newspaper crew there with the Times.
This fall, he plans to rent a place in Pella and be in the classroom every Tuesday and Thursday. He might hang out with the football Dutch and maybe offer some pointers to the long snappers – but remain hands off with the successful coaching crew in place.
In his free time, he also hopes to convince the University of Iowa to let him sit in on their writers’ workshop. Smith never wants to turn off the engine of learning. Though he is considered “retired”, the door remains open for him to take future assignments.
“I’m in the nether world right now,” he said.
Per Central requirements, he has already prepared his curriculum, listed readings and viewings he will require of his students and had them all approved by the academic panel.
Throughout his career, Smith has been known to travel the world, interview international leaders, business tycoons and others who have earned what most determine to be fame and notoriety.
But those were not his favorite moments in journalism.
The highlights of his career came with those interviews of people who are not in the news. Those whose stories are unreported or under reported.
“That’s always been my preference,” Smith said. His experiences of interviewing presidents on live television from the White House Rose Garden or the Oval Office have never been as gratifying as meeting people where they are, he added.
Every time he, or any other journalist, goes out to interview someone, a reporter has to remember whose story they are telling.
“It’s their story, not your story,” Smith said. He’s tried to instill that into every young reporter he’s had the opportunity to teach or mentor. “That’s the philosophy I’ve always tried to share.”
Spending his life doing what he loves, continuing to learn and now coming back to his alma mater have all led Smith to one conclusion.
“I’m the luckiest guy on the planet,” Smith said.
