Part of our series celebrating the legacies of those nearing the end of their forensics coaching career. ************************************ Writing about the legacy of Dan Smith as Director of Forensics at Bradley University is difficult because he taught us what the word legacy meant. I think of weekly team meetings which started with Dan sharing information about a piece of team history, or a narrative about a Bradley alumnus, to remind us that speech is about becoming part of something larger than yourself. He called us “George’s Children,” in homage to the late former Director of Forensics George Armstrong, and taught us the passion for forensic excellence from which we came. He gathered together Alumni from the 1970’s to the 2000’s to remind us that all of this has come before, and that we could learn something from the bequest of those who came before us. Over the past 17 years at Bradley, Dan has established a legacy of his own both competitively and as an educator. Under his direction as DOF, The Bradley University Speech Team has earned an astounding total of 14 national championships at both the American Forensics Association and National Forensics Association tournaments, as well as countless individual event champions and finalists. He has been honored with the AFA Distinguished Service Award, the Eddie Meyers NFA Service Award, and the 2011 Bradley University Parents’ Association Award of Excellence. Yet, these accomplishments are somehow secondary to what Dan has given of himself to the community and his students. Dan taught me that the forensics community requires that you give back everything it has given you. Dan’s tireless service to forensics, through the tournaments he is so famous for hosting, puts the lessons he teaches into practice. Personally, I will remember the Dan of Saturday mornings, the one who stood in front of the room and asked, “What are you going to do?” Dan required us to never take our speeches for granted, and to always commit to the messages we tried to send. These are the lessons that, for me, will always be part of his legacy. Adam Sharples Bradley University Class of 2008
