Hall of Fame
"Smith Leads Attack" read the Cedar Rapids Gazette headline as Coe beat Monmouth 7-3 more than a half-century ago. Raymond C. Smith '28, who scored the only touchdown in that contest, consistently earned that high caliber of headline as he played almost every minute of every game during 4 years of football stardom. On Coe's teams from 1924 to 1927, he was the ball carrier, defensive safety, punter, placekicker, and kick return specialist against Midwest Conference teams and teams like Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Illinois. Captain in 1927, Ray Smith was named All- conference three times and All-state twice. Ray Smith has lived a full life of sports. He was a coach and athletic director for more than four decades, including 10 years as football and basketball coach and 17 years as athletic director at Minneapolis Washburn high school. He conveyed his intense love of sports competition to young people through 21 years of coaching. For 30 years he was a football and basketball official. He won national respect as a starter and referee in track and field. Among the 90 to 100 track meets he worked each year were 27 Minnesota state high school championships, as well as 20 years of service in the Big Ten and 5 years in NCAA championships. In 1977 he received the first Hall of Fame Service Award from the Minnesota high school track coaches association. A legendary Big Ten coach once described Ray Smith's ability as a starter as "the best." "The Best" appropriately defines his days as a student-athlete and his career as a teacher of youth. For 10 years he was Coe's admissions counselor in the Twin Cities area. Some of Coe's finest names in academics and athletics first heard about the college from Ray Smith. On this homecoming day, it is appropriate that Coe honors itself by conferring on Raymond C. Smith the honor of membership in the Coe Athletic Hall of Fame. We are proud of the memory of your athletic accomplishments. We stand in appreciation of your teaching generations of young people the love of good sports.
