David E. Howard, III

Hall of Fame Honoree David E. Howard, III, attended Del City High School from 1967-1970.  After graduating in 1970, Howard attended Central State University, now University of Central Oklahoma, where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1985.  While attending the University of Central Oklahoma, he was an ROTC Cadet, receiving the Alvin Freiberger Award for outstanding achievement as Best Cadet at ROTC Summer Camp.  He joined the United States Army in 1971 after one year of college at Oscar Rose Junior College, now Rose State College.  He was assigned to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and then Nellingen, Germany in 1976, where he quickly became a valuable member and earned his second and third Army Commendation Medals.  He served from 1971-1979.  He returned to Oklahoma in 1985 to complete his college degree and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army Infantry Corps.  In 1985, he was the only Distinguished Military Graduate ranking in the top 20 percent of Army ROTC Graduates nationwide.  He was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia, in May 1985.  He earned his Infantry Badge and Parachute Badge and was assigned as a Platoon Leader. He served from 1985-2000, attaining the rank of Major.  He received his Masters Degree of Science in International Relations from Troy State University in 1995. 
 
While serving our country, he was transferred to the Adjujant General Corps where he commanded a Personnel Service Company during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.  His platoon provided continued support to 4,800 personnel as well as deployed units in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.  He received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal and the Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal for his exceptional performance during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  He coordinated all aspects of the military recreation camp, working with civilians, and Army, Navy and Air Force commands.  He earned a Meritorious Service Medal as commander.  He was then accepted into the Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command.
 
He was deployed to Kuwait as the Chief, Civil-Military Affairs Office.  He was the principal staff officer providing Civil-Military Operations and Host Nation Affairs support to Army Central Command-Kuwait as well as liaison officer with all foreign embassies in Kuwait.  He was awarded his fifth Army Commendation Medal for his creative solutions to host nation Kuwait’s concerns during Operation Desert Thunder.  As a result of his efforts, Kuwait received support and reception of 8,000 members of the coalition task force.  During his assignment, Howard also received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Junior Service Achievement Medal. 
 
Although Howard left this life too soon, he left an unforgettable legacy of leadership and guidance to civilians and soldiers alike.  Regardless of his assignment, he gave his time to help struggling cadets at Central State University and gave to his community through his church affiliations in Oklahoma, Georgia and Hawaii.

Pat Smith

Hall of Fame Honoree Pat Smith attended Del City High School from 1987-1989.  Smith won three Oklahoma state titles for Del City High School from 1987-1989.  He also earned two National Junior Freestyle titles as well.  Smith was an all-around athlete, playing youth baseball for nine years and football for ten years in addition to wrestling.  After graduating in 1989, he attended Oklahoma State University from 1990-1993.  He completed all course work and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Health Education in 1995. 
 
Smith served as Assistant Wrestling Coach at Oklahoma State University from 1995-2005.  He helped build the Oklahoma State University Cowboys into one of the nation’s best wrestling programs, working with Head Coach John Smith.  He personally coached six wrestlers to individual titles as well as multiple NCAA titles.  Oklahoma State University won the NCAA Division I team title for the last three years of his coaching career as Assistant Wrestling Coach from 2003-2005.  Smith also had a very successful freestyle wrestling career, including second place to three-time Olympian Kenny Monday at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Spokane, Washington.  He won gold medals at two U.S. Olympic Festivals.  Smith was second in the 1995 U.S. Nationals and was a six-time All-American at the U.S. Nationals.  He won a bronze medal at the 1997 World Cup.  He also won USA Wrestling age-group national titles on the Espoir and Junior levels.  He ended his college wrestling career with a 121-5-2 record.  He also set the Oklahoma State University wrestling record for consecutive matches without a loss with 98 straight wins.   Smith made wrestling history when he won four NCAA Division I individual national championships.  He joined his older brothers, Lee Roy and John, as an NCAA finalist, which was the first time in history that three brothers had won NCAA Division wrestling titles.  He was part of the teams that won the NCAA team titles in 1990 and 1994.
 
Smith has received numerous awards during his career.  He was named 1994 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year; he was one of only 15 athletes named to the 75th NCAA Anniversary Wrestling Team.  He was inducted into the Oklahoma State Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006.

Lee Roy Smith

Hall of Fame Honoree Lee Roy Smith attended Del City High School from 1974-1976.  He won two state wrestling championships at Del City High School.  After graduating in 1976, he attended Oklahoma State University.  He completed all course work for a Bachelor Degree in Liberal Arts Health and Physical Education.  He received his Master of Arts Degree in Philanthropy and Development from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota in 2010.  While attending Oklahoma State University, he won a national wrestling championship in 1980.  He began a family trend, sharing his wrestling knowledge with his brothers, and the Smith family is now one of the top wrestling families in the nation. 
 
Smith served as Assistant Wrestling Coach at Oklahoma State University from 1984-1987.  He was National Coaching Staff and Head Club Coach at Martigny Wrestling Club and Swiss Wrestling Federation, Martigny Switzerland from 1987-1989.  Coach Smith was the National Freestyle Wrestling Coach for USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs, Colorado from 1989-1992.  He was the Head Wrestling Coach at Arizona State University from 1992-2001. He was the Director of Development at Subuaci Abbey and Academy in Arkansas from 2001-2004.  In 2004, he was the Director of Development for the University of Florida Foundation, Department of Health and Human Performances.  He has served as the Executive Director for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum in Stillwater from 2004-present.
 
Coach Smith has served as Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals; Member of the Association of American Museums; Member of Council for Advancement and Support of Education; International Committee to Preserve Olympic Wrestling; Board Member for International Sports Heritage Association; Member of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management; National Wrestling Coaches Association Board of Directors; USA Wrestling Board of Directors; Stillwater Airport Authority Board Member; Saint John Catholic Church Finance and Capital Campaign Committee; and received the Oklahoma State University Edward Gallagher Award in 2007.  He was also Four-time Pac 10 Wrestling Coach of the Year; a Silver Medalist at the World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling in 1983; Three-time USA National Freestyle Wrestling Champion; Three-time NCAA DI Wrestling All American for OSU from 1977-1980; as well as many other awards and accolades during his career.

The 2015 inductees are: Gary Paul Snow, Class of 1961; Lee Roy Smith, Class of 1976; Pat Smith, Class of 1989; and David E. Howard, III, Class of 1970 (posthumous).

Gary Snow

Hall of Fame Honoree Gary Paul Snow attended Del City High School from 1958-1961.   After graduating from Del City High School in 1961, he attended Oklahoma Christian College from 1961-1965, graduating in 1965 with a Bachelor Degree in History and Speech.  He was also the student senate president for 1965.  He continued his education at the University of Oklahoma, receiving his Master’s Degree in History and Government.  He taught history at the University of S.W. Louisiana where he was named in 1970 as one of Jaycees Outstanding Young Men of America.  He received his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1972.  After practicing law in Holdenville and Seminole for 30 years, he was elected City Judge for Holdenville and Seminole, where he served almost 10 years. 
 
Judge Snow was appointed by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to the Temporary Court of Appeals; he was appointed to an ad hoc committee to review lawyer discipline and served as a trial Judge for the Department of Education.  He has served as a Board Member of Tiak Council Girl Scouts; President of Holdenville Chamber of Commerce; President of Kiwanis Club; Deacon and Elder of the Church of Christ; Organizer and President of Seminole Education Foundation; Organizer and League Director of Kiwanis Basketball; Charter Board Member of Youth and Family Services for Tri-City area; Leader, Teacher and Youth Director for Mid-Del Church of Christ and coached girl’s softball.  He is a Member of Municipal Judge’s Association, the Oklahoma Bar Association, a Fellow of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation, and admitted to practice in all Oklahoma Courts, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
 
Judge Snow retired in 2011 and moved to Blanchard, Oklahoma.  He met his lovely wife Linda while attending Oklahoma Christian College.  Gary and Linda were Oklahoma Christian’s first co-ed debate team.  The partnership continued when he married Linda at the Del City Church of Christ on April 25, 1965.  Gary and Linda recently celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary.  Gary and Linda have three daughters and seven grandchildren.