Portage County Historical Society

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

E. T. Smith
1939 - 1940

Ernest T. Smith was appointed acting president and was named president in August 1939.

Mr. Smith had been at the college since 1909 and was senior faculty member in years of service. He was so liked and respected that the students had petitioned the previous year that he be given the presidency.

The sixth president earned a B.A. degree at Bowdoin College and an M.A. at the University of Chicago. The University of Chicago Press had published several of his widely used history textbooks.

Regent George Martens died following a car accident and Wilson S. Delzell was named to succeed him. Regent Delzell served until his death in 1957, 18 years later.

But, now there came the threat of war. France had fallen. A Civilian Pilot Training program was started with Ground School under Raymond M. Rightsell.

Men began to go into uniform and enrollments started a downward trend.

Then tragedy struck. President Smith died suddenly, September 28, 1940 after a two-week bronchial ailment.

For the second time in its history the college community gathered in the Auditorium to pay final respects to a president of the institution.

During the 1938-40 years such well-known people as Edgar F. Pierson, Miss Bertha Glennon, Mrs. Elizabeth Pfiffner (now Mrs. Elmer DeBot), and