Elmer Smith is recognized as the “Father” of modern era SAU athletics. He arrived at SAU shortly after World War II when the university was Magnolia A&M, a junior college. He had to start from scratch since football was suspended in 1941 when the war began and Smith had to revive athletics that were dormant for four years.

In 1947, Smith’s second team opened with a 6-0 win over McNeese State and finished with a scoreless tie against McNeese in the Cajun Bowl in Lake Charles, La., in a hurricane. SAU finished 9-2-1. His 1948 team won the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) championship with an 8-2 record and defeated Eastern Oklahoma A&M 41-12 in the Papoose Bowl.

In SAU’s first senior class year, 1951, the Muleriders won the AIC championship with a 9-1 record and repeated as AIC champion in ’52 with a 10-1 record. Both years, SAU’s only losses were to Division I opponents. Overall, his football record was 54-27-2 for a .620 percentage over eight years. He also served a dual role as head basketball coach, winning 108 games and losing 74 for a .593 percentage over seven years.

Smith joined Paul (Bear) Bryant at Texas A&M in 1954 and was an assistant under Bryant through 1957, assisted Jim Myer from 1958 through 1961, assisted Hank Foldberg from 1962 through 1964 and was the assistant head coach for Gene Stallings from 1965 until 1971. He retired to his cabin on Petit Jean Mountain until his death in 1987.

Smith was a four-sports star at Hendrix College during his playing days and was known as the “Casa Giant.” He was formerly inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1968, introduced by former Aggie player and head coach, Gene Stallings. He was posthumously inducted in the Hendrix College Hall of Fame in 1994.