Thomas Smith
Following a June 2025 gift to Indiana University of Pennsylvania for its proposed college of osteopathic medicine, IUP alumni Thomas R. Smith has continued his generosity to IUP with an additional gift to create three scholarships and support a number of IUP initiatives.
His gifts are part of IUP’s Impact 150, the university’s $150 million comprehensive campaign. The largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history, the campaign is named in honor of the university’s sesquicentennial celebration in 2025. The campaign launched in August 2025 with $81,236,8523—54 percent of the campaign goal—from 11,673 donors.
Impact 150 centers around raising funds for healthy students, including supporting students academically and personally; a healthy university, including maintaining IUP’s commitment to excellence and innovation; and healthy communities, including IUP’s work to establish a college of osteopathic medicine. The campaign’s total is nearing $98 million, including $48 million specifically for IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
“IUP’s alumni, friends, employees, and students are incredibly loyal to IUP,” IUP Vice President for University Advancement Jennifer DeAngelo said. “The stories are very clear and heartfelt from alumni, especially reflecting a profound sense of gratitude to the university for their education and experiences that prepared them for success, and a sincere commitment to helping to ensure IUP’s future as a place of opportunity and excellence through engagement and generosity,” she said. “We are very grateful to Mr. Smith for his support, which will positively impact countless current—and future—students in many ways,” she said.
Smith, of Hollidaysburg, had a 40-year career in education and supporting high school students. He received a master’s degree in secondary counselor education from IUP in 1976, completing his IUP degree while working as a mathematics teacher at Tussey Mountain Junior Senior High School. He also worked as a mathematics teacher at Keith Junior High School in Altoona.
After earning his master’s degree in counseling at IUP, he began a position as a school counselor at Altoona Area High School, retiring after 31 years in that role. He has a bachelor of science degree in secondary education-mathematics from Penn State University.
He continues to be active in his community, serving as a member of the Rotary Club of Altoona and the board of directors for Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Zion Lutheran Church, and as a member of the Advisory Board for Penn State University, Altoona.
He has played the saxophone throughout his life and is a proud nearly 39-year member of the 28th Division Army National Guard Band, traveling to Europe with the band five times, and supporting many memorial services and parades. He is also a long-time member of the Altoona Community Band and the Hollidaysburg Community Band, and, as a Shriner, is a member of two Jaffa Shrine Bands.
His recent gifts will create an endowed scholarship in economics in memory of his father, Robert L. Smith; an endowed scholarship in English and English education in memory of his mother, Margaret A. (Peg) Smith; and the Thomas R. Smith endowed scholarship in counseling.
“My parents were huge proponents of education all their lives, graduating from college in the 1930s and 1940s when times were difficult,” Smith said.
“My mother loved literature, English and British especially, and shared that passion with her students at the secondary level. She was a dynamic teacher who was able to reach students by having them create paragraphs and compositions, and used poetry, one of her strengths, to encourage even the more challenging students to explore the word of writing. Hopefully, this scholarship can be used to assist an English major to continue in their quest to have young people appreciate literature,” Smith said.
“My father was a dedicated professor, instrumental for years in the lives of his economics and business students he taught at Penn State, Altoona. We hope that this scholarship will assist deserving students in attaining their goals,” he said.
In addition to establishment of the scholarships, his donation supports the Career and Professional Development Center; the IUP Libraries; the IUP Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance and the IUP Marching Band; IUP Athletics; IUP’s Food Pantry and Help Center; the Fund for IUP; and the Dr. David LaPorte Memorial Enhancement Fund in the Department of Psychology.
The IUP Food Pantry and Help Center, established in 2019, was expanded in 2021 to become the Food Pantry and Help Center in response to student needs, offering toiletries and school supplies in addition to food items for students. More than 10,800 students have received support from the Food Pantry and Help Center since its opening.
The Fund for IUP is used to address the greatest needs at the university, at the discretion of the president of the university.
The Dave LaPorte Memorial Fund supports the professional development of students in the doctoral program; the late Dr. LaPorte was a neuropsychologist who taught at IUP from 1995 until his passing in May 2022. He also worked privately as a clinical psychologist. At IUP, in addition to his teaching responsibilities, he was supervisor of the Assessment Clinic in the Center for Applied Psychology, was director of clinical training for the Clinical Psychology doctoral program, and was chair of the IUP University Senate.
“My parents were strong proponents of education and supported my sister and I any way they could in attaining degrees,” Smith said. “They believed that I had some qualities that might contribute to teaching secondary students and counseling and advising them as well.
“In addition to establishing scholarships, I believe that helping to fund support services, library, academic support, music, and athletics can provide the extra services that students might require to help generate success,” he said. “I had, and still have, a passion for music in marching and concert bands, and feel that athletics provide great opportunities for not only competition, but to build great habits, discipline, and a work ethic,” he said.
Smith’s gift to IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine was announced in June 2025.
In December 2022, IUP’s Council of Trustees endorsed the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP. IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine has “candidate status” from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, which recognizes that IUP has done the required planning and has the resources necessary to apply for pre-accreditation status within two years. “Candidate status” is the second step in seeking accreditation from COCA.
The IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine team is working on the next step in the accreditation process, seeking “pre-accreditation status.” When proposed colleges achieve pre-accreditation status, they are permitted to begin recruiting students.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.