Rodney I. Smith, Bridgewater College Life Trustee and retired executive, has been named an honorary alumnus by the BC Alumni Association Board of Directors.
A longtime supporter of the College, Smith is a parent of three Bridgewater alumni: Ashley ’85, Roderick ’87 and Matthew ’89. He served as Trustee of the College beginning in 1980 and was named Life Trustee in 2011. With his family and company, Smith-Midland Corporation, Smith named Smitty’s Café in the Forrer Learning Commons and has contributed to additional top priority projects at the College.
Smith-Midland Corporation was co-founded by Smith and his father, David, in 1960 as a manufacturer of concrete cattleguards. Smith became CEO of the company five years later and served as chair of the Board of Directors until his retirement. During those years, Smith managed the company’s expansion to include the design, production and sale of a variety of precast concrete products including highway barriers, highway noisewalls, utility buildings and custom-designed architectural products. Smith-Midland Corporation became a publicly traded company in 1995. Smith was elected president of the National Precast Concrete Association in 1979 and was named Virginia’s Small Business Person of the Year by President Jimmy Carter in 1980.
Smith is from Midland, Va., and is a lifetime member of the Midland Church of the Brethren. He is now among just 13 honorary alumni in the history of the College.
12/1/25
