In memory of George Smith, who passed away July 3rd, 2010, our class is participating in the establishment of a memorial fund in his honor as being the first African-American to have graduated from The Haverford School.

Tribute to George Smith

July 13, 2010

I want to express my condolences to the  family and thank them for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts about Porgie,  a son of Ardmore.

Bethel is holy ground.  We know this of course because it is not just a House of the Lord, but our House of the Lord.   For many of us, it is where we spent many Sunday mornings.  As long as I can remember, Miss Daisy Smith—Porgie’s mother--used to bring Dottie, Porgie and Sneezy to Sunday School.  And while Miss Daisy’s official title was Superintendent of our Sunday School, our collective, most vivid memory of Miss Daisy was that of her with a wooden spoon in hand as she reign over us and having us submit to her will.   To many of us, Miss Daisy was more  the  Sunday School Warden or Enforcer  than Superintendent.  Yet, she treated all of us as though we were her own kids—Dottie, Porgie and Sneezy.  I do recall that we would run from her, between the chairs and tables, right downstairs.  I think that is where Porgie got his start as an athlete.

Porgie was one of Ardmore’s finest athletes. He played football, basketball and track.  He captained a couple of teams. He ran in the Penn Relays.  At Ardmore Avenue Elementary School, he was a Champion at the Bryn Mawr Olympics. And, during summer nights, much as we are experiencing now,, Porgie would be at Ardmore Playground playing basketball or football,  honing his skills to be yet another outstanding athlete from Ardmore. In ninth grade, in addition to being a Class officer, Porgie was a sure bet to receive the Best Athlete award at the ninth grade graduation.  He was by far the best athlete at AJHS:  Mike Holland was second.  But that night, Earl Henderson, from Narberth, received the award from Principal Harry Donald and  I can recall vividly how Porgie’s head fell into [sunk into] his chest in disappointment.

It was Porgie’s plan to become the best athlete at AJHS. That was not God’s plan.  You see, that summer, Porgie went from  relative obscurity  to ushering in a  movement. He went from the “Man to the Movement”.

 In September 1964, Porgie was the first African American student admitted to the Haverford School.  A son of a chef and domestic went to school side-by side with the sons of the CEOs . While it seems so common now to have African Americans in the Main Line’s prestigious private schools, it had to start with somebody, and it started with Porgie.  Donnie McBride—Haverford’s basketball coach—convinced the school that George Smith—our own Porgie Smith from Bethel Church in Ardmore—should be the first.  And you know what:  Porgie did it with style and grace—much like Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics, like Jim Brown and the Cleveland Browns, and Arthur Ashe on center court at Wimbledon in 1975. He made Donnie McBride’s dream a reality— just as  Jackie Robinson did with  Branch Ricky.

But, I can only  imagine how difficult that was for him.  Porgie was by himself – just like many of our race’s other first, who were required to stand alone and endure on our behalf.   In contrast to many of us who were part of the bussing experiment in Lower Merion when they closed Ardmore Avenue Elementary School  in September 1963, where we at least had a couple of AA classmates,  some form of familiar companionship, while Porgie endured it   alone.  Moreover,  as an athlete, I can only imagine the emptiness he felt in the locker rooms.  At LM before games, we would listen to a little Soul Music – like the Temptations, Four Tops, James Brown or EW&F—to lift our spirits and to raise our game to compete at our greatest potential : Porgie didn’t have that. He was good at sports, but imagine how excellent he would have been if he did have the support we shared. 

We were indeed living the civil rights movement right here in Ardmore in the 1960s.  Whatever was happening in Little Rock, Ole Miss, Wimbledon or Texas El Paso, was happening right here in Ardmore (indeed with Bethel as ground zero).  Moreover, Porgie’s experience showed how sports could bring social change.  Porgie was part of that movement in sports that showed how America was changing.  And just like Arthur Ashe, Porgie did it with grace and style.  Talk to any of his schoolmates –some of whom are here today—and they would say as much.

Indeed, Porgie started a movement because after him, there were other AA students admitted to the Main Line private schools.  And, the experiment worked. Russell Allen went to Haverford, Janine Stewart and Lydia Allen to Agnes Irwin, just to name a few.  And, I am proud to say that they are all children of Bethel.   Furthermore, the success of the story is alive and well today.  Most recently, Gerald Henderson and Wayne Ellington of Episcopal Academy were All American basketball players at Duke and North Carolina, and last June became part of the NBAs class of millionaires. 

Indeed, it all started with Porgie.

Porgie has been in my thoughts for years.  Even nowadays,  I am tasting loneliness    as I   move about  in corporate America.  But, in my own way, I try to keep his dream alive.  Although he did it as a youth:  because of his example , I believe that I can do it as a man.

As I close, let me say that I am so thankful Coach McBride  gave George that opportunity.  You could hear Porgie say to others, in the words of Langston Hughes,

             “let me tell you, life for me aint' been no crystal stairs.  It's had tacks in it,     and splinters, and boards torn up, and no carpet on the floor but bare, and    all the time I have been a climbing on, and reaching landings, and turning           corners, and sometimes going into the dark - [and then list his trials and        tribulation if you do].  But Porgie will tell you,  but don't you turn your back, don't you set down on the steps, because you find it kinder harder; and         don't you fall now, but keep on climbing.

I am thankful to Bethel Ardmore and its rich heritage to allow Porgie and the rest of us to grow. Most importantly though, I am glad that God had a different Plan for Porgie .

George Smith—he was a man, and a Movement.