Henry Smith Takes Office as IWU's Eighth President
By Alan Miller

Dr. Henry L. Smith took office as Indiana Wesleyan University's eighth President on July 1, two years to the day after he arrived on campus as the University's first Executive Vice President. Dr. Smith began his presidency by gathering at College Wesleyan Church with about 500 IWU employees for a dedication service of prayer, scriptures and hymns. The service ended with colleagues laying hands on the new president and his wife, Teresa. Dr. Smith's journey to IWU marked a return to his religious and geographic roots. He was born in Frankfort, Ind., where his father founded Victory Chapel Wesleyan Church and served as its pastor for 50 years. Both of Dr. Smith's parents, Lewis and Mildred Smith, are ordained elders in The Wesleyan Church.

Henry and Teresa Smith

A year after Dr. Smith came to IWU, a Presidential Search Committee "enthusiastically and unanimously" recommended him to the Board of Trustees for the position of President-elect. The Trustees unanimously affirmed the committee's recommendation on June 22, 2005.

Dr. Smith assumed office July 1, a day after Dr. Jim Barnes stepped down as President to become IWU's first Chancellor. Dr. Barnes served as President for 19 years, the second-longest tenure in University history.

A formal inauguration ceremony for Dr. Smith is planned on Friday, Oct. 6, in connection with Homecoming activities. Dr. Smith's heritage as a Wesleyan, coupled with 26 years of proven leadership in Christian higher education, made him an ideal choice for the IWU presidency.

Before coming to IWU, Dr. Smith served in Nazarene higher education for 25 years. He is a past chair of the Consortium for the Advancement of Adult Higher Education and serves as a team chair and member of the Accreditation Review Council for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

In addition, Dr. Smith has consulted on issues of quality in higher education in Central and South America. He developed study abroad program in Hungary and established faculty/student exchange programs in South Korea.

Dr. Smith first graduated from God's Bible College, Cincinnati, with a bachelor's degree in Christian Education. He earned a second baccalaureate degree in Education and a Master of Arts degree in Communication at the University of Cincinnati. He earned his Ph.D. in communication from The Ohio State University.

Teresa Smith also grew up in The Wesleyan Church. She and Dr. Smith were married Aug. 4, 1973, in the Wesleyan church in Port Clinton, Ohio.

The Smiths have three adult children, Dale, 28, a Ph.D. student in Experimental Psychology at Auburn University; David, 25, a personal trainer for a fitness center in Mount Vernon, Ohio; and Danika, a junior nursing major at IWU.

Alan Miller is the University Relations Director at Indiana Wesleyan University.