Donald E. Smith

Aug. 31, 1941 - Feb. 7, 2008

Donald E. Smith, 66, of Greenville, SC, formerly of Elizabethtown, died on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at home in Greenville. Born in Bradford, PA, he was the son of Zoe Hickok Smith of Greenville, SC. and the late Lloyd W. Smith.

Donald was a 1959 graduate of Olean High School, Olean, NY, earned a B.A. in Speech and Literature from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 1964, and an M.S. in Rhetoric and Broadcasting from SUNY at Geneseo in 1966.

He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Donald attended the University of Florida from 1966-67. In 1969 he came to Elizabethtown College to serve as Director of the theater. He then began to teach communication courses and went on to help create the Communication Arts and Communication Department.

From 1972-76, he served as the first chairman of the Communication Arts Program and from 1973 -83 served as the first Director of Broadcasting. He was advisor and general manager of WWEC from 1984-2000 and helped the station switch from AM to FM in the mid 1980's. In 1995, Donald was instrumental in the station going digital and started broadcasting on the worldwide web in 2000.

He also directed musicals for the Elizabethtown Music Foundation, produced slide shows for Penn State University and puppet shows for Lancaster Public Library.

He was a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Elizabethtown, where he sang as a soloist and was also in the choir.

In addition to his mother, Donald is survived by a brother, Thomas, husband of Carol Smith of Mauldin, SC and several nieces and nephews.

A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 398 North Locust Street, Elizabethtown, PA 17022, at 10:30 AM. Friends may call on Tuesday from 9:30 until the time of service. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the church.