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By Donald N.S. Unger
Often, in the cases of
Catholics, the certificate would be of Communion and Confirmation
while at the same time renewing the value of the sacraments
of Baptism and Penance. Other certificates were printed
in the immigrants’ native language, providing a sense
of the old country and allowing them to maintain their
ethnic identity in the New World.
— excerpt from Exhibit Brochure
 Holy
Cross has had its share of benefactors from the College’s
earliest beginnings to the present day. In March 1844, one
year after its founding, Holy Cross’ first president,
Rev. Thomas F. Mulledy, S.J., experienced a crisis that could
have meant a rather short-lived history for the school. Mulledy
faced the academic year with a student body of 26 and a bank
balance of $5. Nothing short of a miracle could save the
College. That miracle came in the form of an unexpected $1,000
check from Boston philanthropist Andrew Carney. The rest,
as they say, is history.
As Holy Cross has continued to grow and expand its programs, services and student
body, the need for additional space, faculty and educational materials has become
increasingly more evident. More than a century after that initial gift, another
donor has stepped up to the plate to make the largest gift in the history of
Holy Cross. Park B. Smith ’54 and his wife, Carol, recently donated $10
million to Holy Cross to help meet the demands that will keep the College at
the top of the academic list. The Carol and Park B. Smith Hall, scheduled for
completion by September 2001, “will help make Holy Cross one of the most
desirable colleges in the nation,” according to Smith. The 55,000+ square-foot
facility will house the newly-created Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture,
the religious studies and philosophy departments, graduate studies, registrar
and study abroad offices, the Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies,
information technology, a chapel and library, as well as various other administrative
offices. The building’s design is intended to provide an intersection of
spiritual, social and academic life at the College.
Facing a choice between Notre Dame University and Holy Cross 50 years ago, Smith
opted for the Massachusetts school. He wanted to remain closer to his native
New Jersey, but, more importantly, he wanted a Catholic education that was grounded
in discipline. Smith’s deep admiration and respect for the Jesuit tradition
of intellect combined with social responsibility made the choice easy.
During his four years at the school he participated
in sports and joined the NROTC. By the time he graduated
in 1954 with a degree in business administration, Smith had
achieved the rank of 2nd lieutenant. He joined the Marines
and spent time at Camp Lejeune and Quantico. Even though
he served during the height of the Korean War, he did not
see any action due to a training injury. Upon discharge,
he had risen to 1st lieutenant.
Searching for direction after his military service and citing a love of “color
and texture,” Smith decided to enter a New York school of design to pursue
a career in the textile industry. His partnership with his father, who already
owned a cloth manufacturing business, was short-lived as that company went bankrupt.
Undaunted, Smith took his expertise in the business world and knowledge of textiles
to a new endeavor.
In the early 70s, Smith founded Dakota, the largest cooperative at that time
in the United States. This co-op helped to lower drastically the unemployment
rate in South Dakota, as it provided jobs for a vast number of American Indians
in the state. The impressive operation employed sewers to construct quilts by
hand. The project, however, “was a total flop,” according to Smith. “Multiplying
the minimum wage times the number of hours needed to make the quilts presented
a price that the public was not willing to pay,” he says. The quilts required
anywhere from 400 to 2,000 hours of handwork. Smith recalls the efforts of the
Lord & Taylor department store, which generously gave his company a full
window display in New York City. “This opportunity was comparable to a
full page New York Sunday Times ad,” says Smith. Such an ad would have
cost approximately $40,000 at the time. The end result of this magnanimous gesture
was lost, however. “We sold only one piece from that exposure.”
Not willing to give up, Smith returned to South Dakota to revamp the company. “We
switched to outline quilting and reduced the price by 75 percent,” he says.
This strategic move proved to be a stroke of genius. The line took off and Dakota
became an $11 million business. Smith reports that with a staff of 500 the company
was the largest employer in South Dakota, second only to Bell Telephone.
In 1982, Smith relinquished command of the South Dakota co-op and decided to
set his sights on other locations. His search brought him overseas where he founded
a textile company in India. Park B. Smith Ltd. became a leading importer of woven
products for the home with an emphasis on a safer global environment. His company
became one of the largest employers in India, providing jobs for more than 35,000
weavers, dyers and sewers. Park B. Smith Ltd., which maintains corporate offices
in New York City, creates handmade home fashions, including woven placemats,
shower curtains, bedding, window treatments, area and accent rugs, kitchen accessories
and pillows that are all cotton and environmentally friendly.
Some of the lessons learned at the hands of the Jesuits became evident as Smith
sought answers to the deteriorating condition of the environment. His company
initiated research that led to the invention of a trademarked method of dyeing
fabric. “Every step of the process is eco-friendly,” he says, “ranging
from naturally grown cotton to pesticide-free and bleach-free products. We don’t
compromise the watershed or pollute the environment.” The company also
practices reforestation as it replaces the trees it uses to make its products.
By growing its own indigo for dye, Park B. Smith Ltd. is also able to increase
the number of men and women it employs.
In recognition of its environmental efforts, the Environmental and Safety Dutch
Council awarded the company the ISO 14001 1996 Certificate for Quality for the
processing and manufacture of herbal dyes. More than 2,000 similar manufacturing
plants exist in India; Smith’s is the first and only one to receive this
acclaim. The award has been in existence for approximately 15 years. “This
distinction is quite a feather in our caps,” Smith says. “Our success,
though, really comes from making environmentally friendly products that are also
affordable.” He feels that consumers should not be penalized “for
buying environmentally correct products.”
Park B. Smith Ltd. sells its Eco-ordinates® collection to every major retail
store in the United States. A distributorship in Germany handles all sales on
a direct basis to European countries, according to Smith. The products are also
available in department stores and fine linen specialty stores in Canada, South
America and Japan. Annual revenues reach between $70 to $75 million.
When he is not busy with the textile industry, Smith engages in collecting fine
wines. “I developed a great love affair with wine. It’s my relaxation,” he
says. By his own admission, he has accumulated more wine in his Connecticut home
than he “could drink in a lifetime.” A change in the New York State
laws provided a perfect opportunity for Smith to showcase his collection. “Private
collectors can now sell their wine to a restaurant,” he says. Smith joined
forces with Scott Bryan, Rising Young Chef of 1996, and Gino Diaferia, a wine
connoisseur, to found Veritas. This exquisite dining spot, located in the heart
of New York City, features more than 13,050 selections of fine wine. “This
is the largest collection ever launched,” Smith says.
In addition to offering gourmet cuisine, this restaurant has added an unusual
and innovative twist for its clientele—its wine list has been placed on
the Internet. Smith says, “Customers can call ahead to ask waiters to decant
their choice one or two hours before they arrive for dinner.”
A mere three months after opening its doors, Veritas received a three-star review
from The New York Times. Of the 10,000 restaurants in the five boroughs of New
York, only 39 are deemed three-star quality. This award has not gone unnoticed.
Veritas became a 1999 James Beard finalist for the best new restaurant in the
country. Smith is honored to have been in the running. “It was quite nice
to be in the top five,” he says.
Smith’s current gift is not his first to the College. In 1997, he donated
$1.5 million for an addition to the Hart Center. Reminiscing about his days on
the freshman baseball team, he recalls the “rather provincial conditions
of the existing athletic facility.” He says, “We had to dress in
one area and shower in another.” Smith’s continued involvement in
the school as a trustee and his regular attendance at various Holy Cross sports
events—he attends at least two football games and two women’s basketball
games annually—sparked the idea for the gift. The Carol and Park B. Smith
Wellness Center has become a second home for many of the College’s athletes
as well as for students and staff. He feels that the gift will allow Holy Cross
to “restore the athletic tradition.”
“This state-of-the-art facility allows us to compete for the biggest and
best students, “ says Smith. The Hart Recreation Center is now a fitness
and training center for the school’s athletes.
This spirit of competitiveness is one of the driving forces behind Smith’s
latest gift. “My major goal is to produce tomorrow’s Christian leadership,” he
says. Smith’s fervor clearly emerges as he claims that he knows in his
heart that “there’s no finer a liberal arts education in America” than
that obtained at Holy Cross. By providing the funds to build faculty, renew the
athletic tradition and improve existing physical structures, Smith hopes to boost
Holy Cross to the forefront in the race for academic excellence.
Smith is demonstrating his gratitude for the
education and training that he received at the school with
this memorable gift. Although she is not a graduate of Holy
Cross, Carol fully endorses the financial support for the
school. Her husband calls her “Holy Cross’ biggest
booster.” The Smiths hope, though, that their monumental
donation will be exceeded. “Our biggest thrill would
be to see someone surpass our gift.” His wife, Carol,
says, “This gesture will probably raise the bar and
Holy Cross needs that.”
The College’s previous largest donation, a $5 million endowment of three
professorships in the humanities, was given by Cornelius B. Prior ’56.
In 1998, Prior said of his gift, “one reason is to send a challenge. And
I guarantee someone is going to come along and break this record. …And
I hope it happens soon.”
Smith contends that in order “to compete, grow and make Holy Cross the
most desirable liberal arts college in America,” alumni need to “give
back more to the school which gave us so very much.” His aim is to break
the psychological idea that “others will step forward.” Leadership
means taking the initiative to lead others to follow, according to Smith. “We
are raising the bar so that others will follow.” With the funds donated
by Smith, Holy Cross will take a major step toward accomplishing his ultimate
goal.
Smith says, “Holy Cross is unique, special in many ways. The Jesuits, professors
and the administration are dedicated to their calling, to the students and to
the profession.” He is taking seriously the challenge of the Jesuits to
address both spiritual and intellectual growth. His generosity is living testimony
to the ideals that he has been taught at the school. Like all the benefactors
before him, Smith’s financial support will contribute to the long and prosperous
history of Holy Cross. In spite of his auspicious gift, Smith humbly says that “this
is a start.”
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