With Smiths’ Generosity, Opportunity Takes Flight

As lifelong adventurers, Norm and Jaye Smith are always on the go – by land, by sea, and even by sky.

Those globe-trotting adventures might never have happened, though, if Norm hadn’t decided to become a Jackrabbit. Similarly, the university today might look very different without Norm and Jaye’s support, particularly in the aviation and track and field programs.

Following his 1962 graduation from Provo High School in Igloo, South Dakota, Norm had his heart set on becoming a TV repairman. In search of that career path, Norm made his way across the state to South Dakota State College, where he’d heard that an engineering degree was offered. A first-generation college student, he immersed himself in the track and field program, which was an extra-curricular he’d excelled at in high school, and began studying, ultimately pivoting to major in psychology.

“Coming from a small school and going to a university that had 4,000 students at the time was a big change for me,” Norm says. “I didn’t think I was smart enough to go there, and it was a big leap.”

Norm would go on to prove himself wrong, working his way onto the dean’s list and using that leap of faith to hurdle his way into success with the track and field team. He filled his days competing for the Jackrabbits – a real challenge in that era, as the team practiced in the Barn only after the men’s basketball team were through using the space in the evenings. The height of college regulation hurdles were three inches taller than what Norm was accustomed to, and, on top of that, the confined length of the gym made for difficult hurdling. Under the mentorship of then-coach Robbie Robinson, followed by Coach Aubrey Dooley, Norm would improve and thrive, qualifying for a track scholarship in his senior year.

Track wasn’t the only thing keeping Norm busy outside of his studies. In the height of the Vietnam War, all able-bodied men at the college were required to take two years of ROTC courses. Norm opted for the Air Force, undergoing 40 hours of training at Brookings Airport, all conducted by civilians. He had something of an advantage: a friend of his, John McConnell, was older than Norm and was serving as a flight instructor. The two knew each other from Norm’s years spent West River, and having an old friend by his side took the edge off his nerves as Norm embarked on what would become a lifetime love of flying. In addition to excelling at track his senior year, Norm was named the cadet wing commander, the highest-ranking student on campus. Of the prestigious honor, he simply says, “I was very surprised.” He graduated SDSU in 1967 as a second lieutenant in the Air Force and took to a life in the sky.

Norm’s career began as a commercial pilot for Southern Airlines. As is common in the aviation industry, the airlines he’s been affiliated with frequently merged or were bought out, and after several transitions, Norm’s decades-long tenure as a pilot concluded with a position under Delta. It was his job as a pilot that led him to his wife, Jaye, in the mid-1970s. A friend of Jaye’s from high school was working as a flight attendant and played matchmaker for the couple. “She always says we’re her greatest accomplishment,” Jaye jokes.

As the wife of a pilot, Jaye is no stranger to flying. She admits it’s always fun to know your spouse is flying the plane you’re on, though she refrains from sharing that with other passengers. She’s had a front-row seat (literally and figuratively) to Norm’s career, allowed to sit in the jump seat at times and even having the chance to join in on one of his certification tests in a full-motion simulator.

Though Jaye isn’t an SDSU grad, she proudly describes herself as an adopted Jackrabbit. As a graduate of the prestigious Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Boston, she opted for a different educational path. After visiting the South Dakota State campus, Jaye jokes, “I guess I really did want to be a college student, after all.” The Smiths began making frequent visits to Brookings starting in the 1990s, attending track meets and witnessing the rocketing success of the aviation program over the years.

Years ago, a friend of Norm’s, Tom Hruby, reached out to Norm to let him know about an ROTC scholarship Tom was trying to establish. Norm not only contributed to Tom’s scholarship, but created one of his own for the track and field program. He and Jaye marvel at the new facilities for student-athletes, a far cry from the makeshift practice space of the Barn where Norm once trained. They’re equally excited about the aviation program, investing in the Alan O. Tuntland Hangar.

“The aviation program has changed so much, and the number of aircraft has multiplied,” Jaye reflects. “It’s exciting to see all of that happening and feel like we’re a part of that.”

Norm and Jaye don’t have children, and their other family members are financially independent. Instead, the couple felt moved to give back to the place where Norm’s career took off, leading him to Jaye and a lifetime of traveling the world. Now retired from Delta, the Smiths utilize the company’s 401k matching plan to fund their passion areas at the university. The couple aim to support students like Norm who are finding their way at SDSU, intent to prove to themselves that they can excel, regardless of background or circumstances.

Norm and Jaye have found adventure in just about every avenue of life they’ve come across, though their flying days are behind them. The two are avid motorcyclists, making country-wide treks to Sturgis. From their current home in Fort Lauderdale, they frequently take to the sea for sailing jaunts, which Jaye believes isn’t so different from flying a plane.

In their many travels, Norm and Jaye always make a point to carve out time for trips back to campus to see what’s new at State. The Smiths still count the university as a special landing place for them: a place that launched a life, a career, a romance, and heightened possibility for future aviation and track students – all because Norm Smith took a leap of faith at SDSU.