This, the Alumni Association's highest
honor, is given in grateful
recognition to Wittenberg alumni, faculty, staff and friends for service
to Wittenberg above and beyond what might
be expected of any contributor to the university's welfare.
Founder, president and CEO of Tippet Capital, an investment and merchant banking firm headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., Lanty Smith can be classified as a true visionary. In addition to his responsibilities with Tippet, Smith also co-founded other companies, including The Greenwood Group Inc., which operates the largest franchise worldwide of Manpower Temporary Services, and MediWave Star Technology Inc., a cardiovascular research and diagnostics company. In 2007, Smith founded Scion NeuroStim LLC, a medical device development company.
The current chair of the executive committee of the Board of Directors and lead independent director of Wachovia Corp., a diversified financial services company, Smith also chairs the board of Precision Fabrics Group, a leading manufacturer of high-technology, specification textile products. Additionally, Smith, who majored in mathematics at Wittenberg and graduated with honors, served on the Wittenberg Board of Directors from 1989-91 and established the prestigious full-tuition Ellen and Lloyd Smith Scholars program in 2001 at his alma mater. Smith continues to serve on a number of other boards at Duke University, where he earned his law degree with honors prior to becoming a partner with the law firm of Jones Day. He later joined Burlington Industries Inc., where he served as executive vice president and senior general counsel prior to being named president in 1986.
Active in his community, including serving as director of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, Smith also founded the Piedmont Angel Network and continues to serve on advisory committees for Triad Health Project, the Central North Carolina Chapter of Multiple Sclerosis Society and Reading Connections. Throughout his career, Smith has been recognized repeatedly, including receiving the Americanism Award from the Anti-Defamation League and the Greensboro Outstanding Community Service Award.