Hall of Greats

Betty J. Gorin-Smith is an educator, preservationist, and author. A native of Taylor  County, Gorin is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Kentucky; she holds a  Master’s in History and Rank I in Teaching. At UK, she was elected to Mortar Board and a member of Chi Omega sorority. She was awarded a Fulbright to the Netherlands and completed postgraduate work at Vanderbilt and the University of  Virginia. 

Betty began her 35-year teaching career at Lafayette High in Lexington, returned to Campbellsville and  taught at Campbellsville and Taylor County High, Lindsey Wilson College, and Campbellsville University.  She believes in not just teaching history, but in actively participating in the preservation of our cultural  landscape. She has supported downtown beautification, the arts, and music. While in the classroom, her  student-led Downtown Walking Tours, tours of Spurlington Tunnel and Brookside Cemetery, Kentucky  Bicentennial County tours, and student-involved tours of Tebbs Bend Battlefield, and field trips to Kentucky  sites and Europe were memorable. She was a sponsor of the Taylor County High School Young Historians  who were awarded the Ida Lee Willis Preservation Award for their work recording cemeteries and family  history. The club published its Taylor County Historic Calendar, thereby creating funds for historic markers,  museum exhibits, and acquisitions. 

Betty has served on the Kentucky Bicentennial Commission, the Kentucky Encyclopedia Committee,  Kentucky Highway Markers Commission, Kentucky Historical Society Executive Committee, and Friends of  the State Archives. She was the leader in saving the Atkinson-Griffin House Confederate Hospital, in  preserving the Jacob Hiestand House complex, now the Taylor County Museum, in creating the Tebbs  Bend Battlefield Trail, in placing gravestones at the Confederate Cemetery at Green River and researching  the county’s veterans in all wars. She serves on numerous boards locally and has been a long-time  member of Campbellsville Baptist Church where she chaired its 225th anniversary celebration. She also  chaired the first re-enactment of the Battle of Tebbs Bend. She is a member of Taylor County Retired  Teachers, KEA, and NEA and many historical and preservation organizations. 

She received the Algernon S. Sullivan Servant Leader Award from Campbellsville University for her work  on the John H. Morgan Trail Commission, DAR State History Teaching Award, Ashland Oil Teacher  Achievement Award, the Shriner American Heritage Cup, Edith Bingham Preservation Education Award, an  award from Greater Campbellsville United for work on African American history and has twice been the  Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year for community service. Congressman Ron named her “historian  laureate” of south-central Kentucky in the Congressional Record. 

She is the author of “Morgan Is Coming!” Confederate Raiders in the Heartland of Kentucky; co-author of  “Campbellsville Taylor County: A Bicentennial History;” contributed to “Campbellsville University: A Pictorial  History;” authored 25 historic markers and numerous historical and genealogical books and publications. 

Born in 1940, she is the daughter of David Hiestand Mitchell and Floye Smith. By Don Gorin, she is the  mother of Mark Gorin, Beth Gorin Cox, and Wendell D. Jones, PhD. She has six grandchildren. Betty’s  second husband was the late Lt. Colonel Gordon E. Smith. 

She says, "I am thankful to God for a very blessed life." 
 

Gary Seaborne attended Taylor County Schools from grades 7-12 and graduated from TCHS in1962. He attended Campbellsville College and graduated in 1966 with secondary teacher certification. Seaborne then attended Western Kentucky University with a master’s  degree and Rank I with Secondary Certification for School Principal and Superintendent. Mr. Seaborne also attended some classes at Morehead State University and the University of Kentucky. 

In 1967 and 1968 he taught 8th grade classes while driving a school bus in the mornings and afternoons. He served as superintendent of Taylor County Schools for 27 years until  he retired on June 30, 2009. 

At one time, he was second in seniority in Kentucky as a school superintendent. He  presided over several school building renovations and additions and improvements such as  air conditioning for the school buildings, classroom telephones, audio visual instructional  equipment and computers. 

Mr. Seaborne says that it has most certainly been a high honor and a blessing to serve the  citizens of Taylor County in the education of their youth for the best 43 years of his life.

When C.V. Bryan arrived on the scene in 1923 as Taylor County’s third farm agent, he faced an uphill battle with many area farmers who had little use for innovative techniques and change, all of  which Bryan had in abundance. 

During his impressive 39-year career, Bryan succeeded in building confidence and friendships with Taylor County farmers, even those initially resistant to his new ideas. With doors now opened, Bryan  was able to introduce a multitude of cooperative programs and improved farming practices that  quickly began to increase profits for Taylor County farmers. 

First, he showed farmers how to buy limestone in carload lots, and he helped obtain a rock crusher for the county. He  introduced fescue and other soil improvements which led to increased crop production. By the end of Bryan’s career,  farmers were producing more corn on one acre than they previously grew on three, and the average tobacco production  increased from 646 pounds per acre to an average of 1740 pounds in 1959. 

By 1929, Bryan had convinced local farmers of the financial benefits of breeding only purebred cattle, leading to Taylor County’s recognition as the fourth county in the United States to replace 100% of their scrub bulls with purebred sires. Months later, Taylor County also eliminated all scrub boars from their herds, becoming the first county in the U.S. to reach  a 100% goal for purebred sires in two livestock classes. 

Bryan educated farmers about the additional earnings to be made from dairy farming, ultimately creating a million-dollar  business in Taylor County, the formation of a dairy co-op, and luring Chappel’s Dairy to Taylor County. Bryan praised  local farmers who had gone from raising only a cow or two for home consumption to producing over 30 million pounds of  milk every week. Under his leadership, a cooperative lamb-shipping association was also organized. 

Bryan started the Farm Bureau in Taylor County, one of the first in the state, as well as the Junior Farm Bureau. He helped increase the number of 4-H organizations in Taylor County from 1 to 28, helping to educate and raise up future  Taylor County farmers. For several years, local hatcheries participated in one of Bryan’s youth programs by giving away 40,000 baby chicks yearly to 4-H members to raise, resulting in 270,000 fryer chickens being produced locally each year. He was a strong advocate for bringing electricity to Taylor County farms, and along with the Farm Bureau, raised funds for the initial surveying of 100 miles of county lines.  

February 1, 1949, was declared C.V. Bryan Day in Campbellsville and in 1958, he was elected president of the Kentucky County Agent’s Association. That same year, he attended the National County Agent meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, where he presented President Harry Truman with a Taylor County country ham. Throughout his career, Bryan successfully encouraged Taylor County bankers to finance the many improvements being adopted by farmers, convincing them that what was good for the farmer was good for Taylor County. 

Bryan instigated popular street fairs that celebrated Taylor County farms with displays of local livestock, crops and garden produce, especially aimed to excite young people about new farming advancements. As part of his dairy program, Bryan introduced Cow Days that brought thousands to downtown Campbellsville for the chance to win a dairy cow. Bryan entertained and educated local citizens with his weekly newspaper column filled with the latest farming practices,  sprinkled with sage safe advice and the virtue of good citizenship. “Barnyard Gossip” was written in Bryan’s distinctive  folksy style, usually calling farmers by name and sharing their successes. 

By the end of his career, Bryan had raised the agricultural economy of Taylor County from Kentucky’s lowest to 23rd out of  120 counties in the state. When Bryan retired in 1962, the Central Kentucky News-Journal honored him with the following: 

Well Done Good and Faithful Servant. 

No better monument could be raised to C.V. Bryan than the present agricultural economy of Taylor County. Through his  leadership, the farmers of the county have improved their land by using tested methods of cultivation, crop rotation,  annual pastures and soil conservation. In 1923, there were no dairy herds, no fields filled with slick, fat beef cattle, few silos, poor roads, and poor soil. Thousands of 4-H boys and girls have learned farm improvements from Mr. Bryan. Many  4-H’ers now form the backbone of Taylor County’s farm population.  

March 23, 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of C.V. Bryan’s death. 

The Taylor County Agriculture Department has been blessed with many great students, teachers, and supporters over the years. We began to look at those who have left their mark and contributed to the legacy of  Taylor County Schools, Taylor County FFA Chapter, and the Taylor County Agriculture Community. 

Mr. Walter Rhodes is one of those great students who has met the criteria mentioned above for Taylor County, our FFA chapter, and the agriculture community. Mr. Rhodes began his membership in the Taylor County FFA Chapter in 1952. Throughout his high  school career, he was very active in the FFA program. He served as Chapter President  1954-1956 and excelled in multiple competitions, especially the Parliamentary Procedure  Contest. This contest is considered one of the most prestigious contests in the National  FFA Organization. He led his team as president to the 1956 Kentucky State FFA Parliamentary Procedure Championship. This was Taylor County’s first state win for this contest. His leadership led future members to strive to meet this standard of success and  established a love for this contest for years to come. 

Mr. Rhodes married LaVerne Williams Rhodes in 1969 and established a 600 acre farm in  Taylor County. He worked for UPS for 31 years in Campbellsville. Walter has shown a dedication and love for agriculture throughout his career and life, and that provided an example for others to follow. It is an honor to recognize his achievement and example to others through his induction to the Taylor County Agriculture Hall of Greats. 

 

  

Judith Moss Eastridge, aka Judy, Mrs. Eastridge, Mrs. E, Mom, and her favorite title  - “Grandmommy” was (and still is) a name cherished and remembered by many. She grew up in a small bedford stone house on a humble farm in Taylor County where she was instilled with the values and life skills that made her the teacher, wife, mom, friend, aunt, grandmother and neighbor we all loved.  

She attended Ireland Community School during her elementary years, and then went on to be Valedictorian of the Class of 1964 at Taylor County High School. She married Bobby Eastridge while still in high school at the young age of 16. Miss Sublett, who was principal at the time, got wind of the planned elopement and locked Judy in a closet to try to prevent the nuptials until JT and Nina, her  parents, could get there to talk her out of it! However, her love for Bobby could not be coerced. They were married as planned and went on to spend 43 wonderful years together until her unexpected  passing in 2004.  

Judy’s undeniable talent and love for music awarded her a bachelor’s degree in music with an emphasis  in piano from Campbellsville College, along with a career as the choral director at Taylor County High  School from 1968 to 1988. With a master’s degree in administration and counseling, she went on to be the middle school guidance counselor from 1988 to 1993, and then worked as the Director of Pupil Personnel until her retirement in 2001.  

Story after story from former students revealed the impact she had on so many. She treated everyone equally and worked to instill a vision of hope and potential within her students. She had respect and love from her students because of her ability to lead with strength and authority, but also because of her kindness and zeal for life. She directed musicals, madrigal dinners, chorus performances, holiday sing a-longs, and more. Her creative vision was an integral precursor to the TCHS Show Choir we all know and enjoy today. Her creativity was expressed beyond her musical gifts. She was an amazing cook who loved to entertain guests with wonderful meals and a beautifully set table. She was taught by her mom at an early age to sew and became a fantastic seamstress making window treatments, pillowcases, bags, blankets, clothes, and the most elaborate Halloween costumes for the grandkids! She loved playing  bridge and would even play weekly tennis in the summers to be with her friends, although she admittedly was not much of an athlete! It didn’t matter. The joy came from time spent with people she loved. Her friends were very important to her, and she cherished them all dearly.  

Her love for the Lord shined through as well. She led the choir at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church for over 30 years and served Campbellsville as a whole by forming and leading community choirs to  celebrate Easter, Christmas and other special events. She was very much a visionary and equally skilled at executing that vision. Her “ray of sunshine” personality made her a friend to all. To know Judy was to love her. For anyone who knew Judy, they would definitely say that her pride and joy was her children: Jay and Merideth. She was a wonderful mom who taught them by example to love God and family above all else. They both now have families of their own to which Judy would have adored had she still  been here today. Judy made the choice every single day to seek happiness. Regardless of how she felt  or what the situation might be, she woke up with a smile on her face and “It’s gonna be a good day” attitude. She positively impacted so many people. Her legacy will live on forever in the hearts of her family and friends and in the halls of Taylor County Schools.

Nathan Gaddis is a 2003 Grammy Award Nominated Singer/Songwriter, with his work in the vocal group, TrueVibe. He’s worked with and toured with some of the music industry's biggest names, including Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, *NSYNC, Mandy Moore, Richie Sambora, the late Aaron Carter, and many more. His musical work can be found on several compilation albums with one of his original songs being featured on the Radio Disney 4 record that is certified Gold (500,000 albums sold). You can hear Nathan’s voice on the critically acclaimed 2001 Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies animated feature film “Jimmy Neutron:  Boy Genius,” with the song “I Can Count on You,” as well as being featured in the first verse of the title song for the movie “On the Line” in 2001. The music video for “On the Line” was featured on  MTV’s Making the Video and had over 20 million views when aired in 2001. 

Nathan has performed in front of over two million people throughout his career in the music business, and TrueVibe was named Most Successful New Artist of 2001 by Christian media outlets. “I always wanted to make music that made people feel something deep in their bones. Something that,  maybe, they can’t even articulate but know it’s there.” - Nathan Gaddis 

Nathan Gaddis is proud to be a Kentucky native. His parents, Dr. Robert and Jeanne Gaddis, surrounded him with music his entire life so it was a natural choice to pursue this path. He is also extremely proud to be a Taylor County High School Alumni, graduating in 1996. It was in those halls and classrooms where he began to perfect his craft believing that one day he was going to use his gifts to help encourage the world. However, it wasn’t easy to get to that point. To take a shot at his dream, he had to drop out of Belmont University’s nationally acclaimed Commercial Music  Program to pursue that dream, not knowing what the outcome would be. He decided it was a worthy goal and this was his shot, so he took it. Nathan is constantly encouraging young musicians who have aspirations to become known for their platform to never give up. 

“Most times, the right choice and the hard choice are actually the same choice. So do the difficult and hard things. Take the leaps of faith. Be bold. In the end, you’ll find yourself on the other side, thankful that you made the effort because it forces growth in your life.” - Nathan Gaddis 

Nathan is married to his best friend, Bethany, and they have four amazing children, Jaxon Clark, Jovie Capri, Jaydn Priscilla, and Lyrick Chase.

Anyone familiar with Taylor County Basketball will no doubt have heard of the Cox Family. Brent Cox was a standout player and was known as a great student and teacher of the game of basketball. Brent was an integral part of the success of Taylor County Basketball, particularly during the ‘70s and ‘80s. Brent’s time at Taylor County began with his playing career. He was a two sport, four-year varsity  letterman from 1954-1958, playing both basketball and baseball. In basketball, he was the  leading scorer for his team each year that he played, scoring 1948 points in his four-year career. At the time of his graduation, he was the all-time leading scorer for Taylor County Basketball.

Cox began teaching and coaching at Taylor County in 1963. He started coaching middle  school basketball and then moved up to coach freshman basketball in 1969. He became Assistant Basketball coach under Fred Waddle in 1972. Cox was recognized as a brilliant  strategist who stressed fundamentals. Together,  he and Waddle led Taylor County  Basketball through their glory days of the ‘70s and ‘80s. They are remembered for their willingness to implement new tactics and strategies that the traditional basketball minds  called crazy. Their success includes four regional championships and eight district titles. Cox remained by Waddle’s side for 17 seasons, after which they both retired. 

Brent was born and raised in Mannsville and lived there with his wife Betty. During his  tenure at Taylor County, and even after his retirement, he remained loyal to Taylor County Cardinal Basketball.

Clem “The Gem” (as he was known during his playing days) had an extraordinary run as not only a professional basketball player but also as a Division I Head Coach. This was not only due to his incredible talent on the hardwood, but the role he played as a trendsetter and breaker of barriers throughout his career. He attended Durham High School as a freshman and sophomore where he scored over 1500 points, and then in 1961, Clem was the first African American to enroll at Taylor County High School.  

Clem and two of his brothers, Paul Samuel and Merion, were standout basketball players at Taylor County High School. He played for Head Coach Billy B. Smith and Assistant Coach Fred Waddle. He was an all-star player his junior and senior year, winning countless awards and adding another 1800 points to his scoring totals. He finished his high school career with 3,325 points scored. He was an All-American and was recruited to play at the NCAA  Division I Level, which he did at Western Kentucky University. 

Haskins and his Hilltopper teammates won the Ohio Valley Conference in 1966 and 1967 and was OVC Player of the Year in 1966. In 1967, the Hilltoppers were ranked 3rd nationally. Clem was a three-time All American while at Western and remains the only player to be chosen Conference Player of the Year for three  consecutive seasons. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WKU. 

In the 1967 NBA Draft, Haskins was selected by the Chicago Bulls and the Kentucky Colonels but opted to play for the Bulls. He played nine years of professional basketball for three teams; the Bulls from 1967-70, the  Phoenix Suns from 1970-1974, and Washington Bullets (now Wizards) from 1974-1976. He was a point guard and shooting guard. Clem played in 681 games and totaled 8,743 career points. 

In 1977, Clem became an assistant coach at Western Kentucky University. In 1980, he was named head  coach, a position he held for six seasons. He was named Coach of the Year in 1982. Haskins left WKU in 1986 to be head coach at the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and rebuild their men’s basketball program. His illustrious career at Minnesota included several postseason appearances and two National Invitational Tournament Titles in 1993 and 1998. In 1997, he led the Golden Gophers to a school record 31 wins, the Big Ten Regular Season Conference Championship and the 1997 NCAA Final Four as the number one seed from the Midwest Region. They lost to the Kentucky Wildcats, but Haskins was given the honor of being named the Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award winner. 

Coach Haskins represented his country as an assistant coach for the 1996 US Olympic Basketball Team.  They won the gold medal for the US for the second straight Olympic Games. 

Haskins retired from coaching in 1999 with a career record of 344-243 and a record at Minnesota of 243-170.  He and his wife of over 40 years, Yevette Penick Haskins, have three children. He now lives on the same  farm his parents worked and where he was raised. In 2008, his farm was voted the finest in Taylor County. 

Clem was an inaugural inductee into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame in the Class of 1988. He was inducted into the Fifth Region Athletic Directors Hall of Fame from Taylor County in 2007. Recently, the  hardwood at Citizens Bank Arena was dedicated as Clem Haskins Court. He may be retired from playing and  coaching, but Clem Haskins can still be found around the game, usually coming to watch Taylor County Basketball.

Clay Marcum, a 1934 graduate of Taylor County High School, is the founding father of Taylor County Athletics. He loved sports and was the  driving force behind Taylor County offering athletics to its students. He  even had a part in choosing the school colors and giving the name “Cardinals” to the athletic teams. 

The boys’ basketball program was the first athletic team at TCHS. It started during the  1941-1942 school year under the leadership of Coach Marcum. He was instrumental in  making Taylor County a member of the KHSAA, enabling our teams to compete against  other schools and in postseason events. Coach Marcum led our basketball program  through the 1947-1948 season and then started the baseball program, which he led until  1955. The first unofficial athletic director for Taylor County Schools was Clay Marcum.  

Coach Marcum is not remembered for his wins and titles but for his leadership in starting  these programs. His early management of these teams led to top notch basketball and  baseball programs and an all-around exceptional athletic program.  

Coach Marcum passed away in 1972 and as a tribute, the “new at the time” football field  was dedicated in his honor and named Clay Marcum Field.

Christi Thomas McGuire is a 1993 graduate of Taylor County. She was part of the Taylor County High School 1993 District Championship team and 1990 and 1991 District runner-up teams. Playing for Rollin McQueary, she was a four-year starter, three-time All-District, two-time All-Region, two-time 5th Region Player of the Year and a member of the Kentucky Junior All-Star team. Christi had 1,409 career points, ranking her 5th all-time scorer for girls’ basketball. She was also a member of the tennis team and active in Beta Club and chorus. 

She went on to receive a full basketball scholarship at Campbellsville University where she was an All-Conference performer and finished as the #22 all-time scorer in program history and top 8 in career field goal percentage. Christi was recently inducted into the Campbellsville University Athletic Hall of Fame. 

Christi currently resides in Lexington with her husband, Jason, and kids Haley and Easton. She works for the UK Network as a radio and TV host, as well as a basketball color analyst for the SEC Network.

Rollin McQueary played basketball for Adair County High School from 1955 - 1959, where he was selected as All-Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference and All-Region. He then attended Lindsey Wilson Junior College where his team advanced to the 4th place national finish. He continued his collegiate career at Midwestern State University. There, he was chosen as the Outstanding Athlete of 1963. 

In 1971, after coaching various sports in Ohio, Rollin McQueary came to Taylor County  where he remained until his retirement. He taught physical education at the elementary school for 32 years. He started as the 7th grade and 8th grade boys’ basketball coach. In 1973, he became the boys’ freshman basketball coach, coaching with fellow inductees  Fred Waddle and Brent Cox. He was also a member of the first football staff at Taylor  County in 1973 and had the distinction of being the first tennis coach at Taylor County, holding the position from 1974-1977. 

However, coach McQueary is most well-known for his longevity of the TCHS Girls  Basketball team. He became head coach in 1976 and remained in that position until 1998,  giving him 22 seasons with Lady Cardinal Basketball, a record for basketball coaches that  still stands. Coach McQueary has the most wins of any Taylor County girls’ basketball coach with a career record of 281-254. He won seven district championships and led his  1977 Lady Cardinal team to the school’s only 5th Region Championship in girls’ basketball.  Coach McQueary was the Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, 1995 5th Region Coach of the Year, and was the East-West All-Star Coach. 

After his retirement, Rollin began officiating basketball and volleyball and to this day, he still officiates volleyball in Louisville, where he now lives.

Coach Shaw retired in 1992 after thirty-six years as a head coach, the last twenty years at the helm of Taylor County Cardinal Baseball. Shaw was instrumental in the growth and development of Taylor County Baseball during its infancy and its transformation into the successful program it is today. 

His coaching career began with a five-year stint at Union College in 1957 where he served as head baseball coach and assistant basketball coach. This was followed by two years at Walton Verona High School (his jersey was retired in 2003), six years at Campbellsville High School, and three years at Campbellsville College. He was head baseball coach at Taylor County High School from 1973-1992 where he had seven district runner-up teams, as well as three regional runner-up teams. His teams also won six SKAC championships and were four-time conference runners-up. His overall win loss record is 674 wins and 360 losses. His teams won ten district championships, seven district runners-up, and three regional runners-up. 

Coach Shaw has coached in over 1,000 games, which span five decades, and was named the Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference Coach of the Year six times. In 1999, the Taylor County High School baseball field was named Shaw Field in honor and recognition of Coach Shaw’s dedication and contributions to the Cardinal baseball program. He is a member of the 2002 class of inductees into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame and Taylor County’s representative in the Fifth Region Athletic Director’s Hall of Fame, class of 2005. Coach Shaw and Gail, his wife of sixty-six plus years, raised three children: Jeff, David, and Mary Jo.

Billy B. Smith was a standout player in high school. He was named All-State Honorable Mention in 1950 & 1951 and received All-Conference, All-District, and All-Region honors his senior year. He also helped lead his team to one  state basketball tournament appearance. Mr. Smith was voted best player in the region his junior and senior years. He also played basketball at Campbellsville College where his team won the Kentucky Junior College Conference and went on to the national tournament in Kansas. 

After setting a two-year scoring record for the Kentucky Junior College Conference, Smith  continued his college basketball career at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, where he was  co-captain. After graduation he completed his master’s degree at the University of Kentucky. Smith  served as athletic director and coached baseball and boys’ basketball at Taylor County. 

As boys’ basketball coach from 1956-1973, he compiled a record of 306-183. His basketball teams  won five district titles, one region title and finished regional runner-up twice. In 1963, his team went  on to the KHSAA Sweet 16 where they fell in the quarterfinals by one point to Lexington Dunbar.  The 1963 team featured future Division I and professional player Clem Haskins. Success was  evident thanks to teams that won 20+ games in a season seven times and 30+ games once. 

Smith served as president of the Kentucky High School Coaches Association in 1975. He was  President of the Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference for 10 years. In 1985, Smith retired from  Taylor County after 30 years as an educator and coach. He was inducted into the KHSAA Hall of  Fame in 2004. After retirement, he continued to be extremely active in his community. He has been  president of the Campbellsville-Taylor County Chamber of Commerce and received the  Distinguished Alumnus award from Campbellsville University in 1980. Having also been named to  CU’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Smith served on the University’s Advisory Board and served three terms  as chairman of the Taylor County Hospital Board of Directors. He also served as a director of the  Green River Feeder Calf Association, as a member of the Kentucky Cattleman’s Association and as  a member of the Taylor County Extension Board and the Agriculture Development Council. Smith  owned and operated the Taylor County Stockyards in partnership with family for many years and  had previously worked there for 50 years before his departure in 1998.