[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17423]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               IN HONOR OF JOSEPH C. ``PAPA JOE'' SMIDDY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RICK BOUCHER

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. BOUCHER. Madam Speaker, Joseph C. ``Papa Joe'' Smiddy is truly a 
legend in southwest Virginia and beyond. Known for his folksy humor, 
Dr. Smiddy is widely revered for his endeavors on behalf of the 
University of Virginia's College at Wise (formerly known as Clinch 
Valley College), the college that he guided through its infancy and 
through years of growth as it became the outstanding institution of 
higher learning that it is today.
  Before Clinch Valley College was established in 1954, there were no 
public colleges in Virginia west of Radford, which made higher 
education out of reach for most residents of southwest Virginia. The 
only 4-year, state-supported college in far southwest Virginia, the 
University of Virginia's College at Wise is also the only branch of the 
University of Virginia in southwest Virginia. Under Dr. Smiddy's 
tutelage, the college became a 4-year institution in 1970 with the 
awarding of Bachelor of Arts degrees. Bachelor of Science degrees were 
awarded in 1973, and Bachelor of Science degrees in Nursing were first 
awarded in 1996. U.S. News & World Report ranks the college as one of 
the south's top public liberal arts colleges. Dr. Smiddy's name and 
efforts will forever be linked to the success of the University of 
Virginia's College at Wise.
  A native of Jellico, Tennessee, Dr. Joseph C. Smiddy began his career 
as an educator as a biology and chemistry teacher and band director. 
Later, he became a high school principal in Lee County, Virginia, after 
honorably serving his country as a member of the United States Army 
during World War II in New Caledonia and the Philippines. Dr. Smiddy 
was the first biology instructor at Clinch Valley College in 1954, 
continuing to teach there until 1984. He served as dean and director of 
the college before being named chancellor in 1968. Dr. Smiddy was 
forward-thinking in admitting African-American students to the college 
at a time when not many others were, and Clinch Valley College was co-
educational a decade before the University of Virginia admitted women.
  Since his retirement in 1985, Dr. Smiddy has continued to serve as 
ambassador for the University of Virginia's College at Wise and to work 
tirelessly on its behalf. Because of his efforts, innumerable students 
who would otherwise not have been able to do so have acquired a college 
education.
  The numerous awards which Dr. Smiddy has received include the 
University of Virginia's College at Wise Alumni Association's 
Meritorious Achievement Award, the Wise County Outstanding Citizen 
Award, the Wise County Outstanding Educator Award, and the Kanto Award. 
He has been included in the Virginia Hall of Fame, and in 1981, he was 
named a laureate of the Virginia Cultural Laureate Center. Dr. Smiddy 
has received honorary doctorates from Lincoln Memorial University, his 
alma mater (1970); the University of Richmond (1975); and The College 
of William and Mary (1985).
  Dr. Smiddy recently achieved an important milestone by celebrating 
his ninetieth birthday. He remains a vibrant member of the community of 
Wise where he lives with his wife, Reba. His daughter, the Honorable 
Elizabeth Smiddy Wills, is a juvenile and domestic relations court 
judge for the 30th judicial district of Virginia. His son, Dr. Joe 
Frank Smiddy, M.D., is a pulmonologist in Kingsport, Tennessee. An 
active Kiwanian for decades, Dr. Smiddy is also a lifetime deacon of 
Wise Baptist Church. He uses his gifts as musician and storyteller to 
share the music and history of the Appalachian Mountains with others 
not only in Virginia but across the United States and in several 
foreign countries. His renown as an educator will forever endear Joseph 
C. Smiddy to the citizens of far southwest Virginia and to all those 
whose lives have been touched by the institution to which he has 
dedicated himself, the University of Virginia's College at Wise.

                          ____________________