Interim President Clif Smart was named Missouri State University’s 11th president last week. Instead of using a boring podium photo for the front of The Standard, I thought I would ask him to do a portrait.
Our news editor Dayle Duggins has been following the presidential search this semester, and when she did a Q and A with finalists Smart and Dunn, Smart said he owned three Yorkshire terriors. I went along with her past story, and the idea of famous U.S. presidents and their dogs, to pitch my idea. I saw him at a university United Way banquet last Wednesday morning, and when I asked, he urged his wife Gail to be in the portrait because him posing with three little dogs does not make him look manly.
It is great to see such a humble man who adores his wife chosen to be our university’s president. I have all the respect in the world for him.
Caption for the photo:
Missouri State University’s 11th President Clif Smart walks with his wife of 26 years Gail and their three Yorkshire terriors on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 in Rountree Neighborhood. “She is a huge part of me and how we would do this job together,” Smart said at his open forum last Wednesday. “I would not be here, applying for the job on a permanent basis, if Gail were not all in.”
Steph Anderson | The Standard
Here is the cover of our Homecoming tab that is inserted inside the regular issue of The Standard this week. I photographed it during the Murray State home-opener, and our ad designers did a great job overlaying text. Also, we did a feature of Ryan Callendar (21) on what it is like getting ready for gameday. You can view The Standard here.
