Garry Smith

1. Born and raised on a farm outside Oak Grove, Louisiana. 2. Father died when 4 years old. 3. Raised on a "hard scrabble" cotton farm that was farmed by a 22 year older brother and owned by a 25 year older brother. 4. Worked in the fields from about age 8. 5. Learned to "operate" a hoe and worked in the cotton fields for 10 hours a day almost every day from April to October. 6. Learned to operate a tractor at about age 10 and finally got to drop the hoe and drive a tractor most days which extended the work year. 7. Started to drive a tractor for hire with a pay of $5 for a 10 hour day lunch was provided. 8. Worked part time at a granary when 14. Pay about &2 per hour. The dirtiest job I ever had. 9. Wanted to go to college but knew the payment would be up to me. 10. Worked on offshore oil rigs starting at 17. That and a grant and loan allowed me to attend Louisiana Tech. 11. Married my high school sweetheart, Charlotte, in 1969. Worked as a checker in a grocery store while we were in school 12. We were broke but did not know it. 13. After her graduation, Charlotte got a job and I got an assistantship for graduate school at Tech. MBA in 1971. 14. Started on doctorate right away because I fell in love with teaching while working on masters. 15. Graduated with Doctorate in 1976. 16. Employment in higher education: A. 1973-1976: University of Central Arkansas. Assistant Professor B. 1976-1980: Corpus Christi State U. (Texas A&M at Corpus Christi) Associate Professor C. 1980-2010: Mississippi State University Professor and Department Head D. 2010-present: Professor Emeritus and Retired. 17. Published textbooks primarily in Strategic Management 18. Worked short term assignments in Finland and Bolivia 19. Worked in Former Soviet Union especially Uzbekistan shortly after the breakup of the USSR for several months a year. I have always enjoyed reading fiction. I've read all the Louie Lamoure books and the Sackets are some of my best friends. I've read most of the McMurtry books and sometimes imagine myself as Call. Tom Clancy is another favorite author. There's nothing more exciting than sitting in your room with devices in the corners reading his spy thrillers. Mr. Clark is a favorite character. The Clan of the Cave Bear books were especially mind expanding because I thought "It could have happened that way." With John Grisham being from Mississippi, I try to read all his books.