Lee Stanley Smith, a historic native, has recently been honored by St. Marks Preparatory School of Dallas by naming him as the first distinguished alumnus – and using his name as the ongoing name of this prestigious award: The “St Mark’s School of Texas Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage and Honor Distinguished Alumni Award.”
This award recognizes members of the St Mark’s community, who demonstrate courage, honor, perseverance and justice in the community, who have made an indelible difference through using their voice and actions to better this world.
Naming this new Alumni Award in his honor, Lee Stanley Smith’s contributions will forever be preserved in St Mark’s History.
Honoring the legacy of St Mark’s first Black graduate: Lee Stanley Smith.
After graduating from St Mark’s in 1965, Smith earned a Baccalaureate degree at Harvard University (1969) and then went on to the University of Washington Law School (1974) to earn his Juris Doctor law degree. His other notable accomplishments include: the first Black Managing Editor of the Harvard Yearbook Publications; spearheaded litigation against the Washington State Bar Association that led to exponential increase in Black lawyers being able to practice in Washington State.
Smith returned to Texas to become the Chief Regional Civil Rights Attorney for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where he was responsible for enforcement of Federal civil rights laws in Texas and the surrounding states. Smith also led the legal case against UT and Texas A&M to strike down the then Texas Constitutional provision of “separate but equal”. This led to codifying that a share of the multibillion-dollar Permanent University Fund be perpetually allocated to the historically Black college and university (HBCU) – Prairie View A&M University. Smith also authored several studies on the History of Black Colleges in Texas.
Lee Stanley Smith, is a historic South Dallas native. He started his education at Phyllis Wheatley Elementary and continued his secondary education at James Madison High School through the first semester of his 1965 senior year. It was starting his second semester in 1965 that the opportunity arose to integrate St Mark’s School – and Smith then transferred. While at Madison, Smith was a leader and gifted student.
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He served as NHS President, ROTC Drill member, Alpha Phi Alpha Scholastic Honoree, Trojan Honoree, NASA and US Air Force Award winner, and he was an Eagle Scout with Order of the Arrow.
Smith was the first Black student to integrate the halls of North Dallas’ St Mark’s School of Texas. More of his professional accomplishments include: Photographer and Special Assistant for the National Urban League in New York City; Attorney at Law in Seattle; Attorney for the University of Texas System in Austin; Special Assistant to the Director of the Washington State Department of Wildlife; Associate Vice President for Business Affairs, and Associate Vice President for Legal Affairs for the University of Texas at Austin with extensive expertise in information technology systems, security and forensics; Business Consultant for Apogee Telecommunications in Austin; and Cultural Photographer at Traveler Smith.
