Kenneth Smith is a Missouri native, a School of Journalism alumnus and the founder and former president of Kenneth Smith Advertising. In 1971, he founded his company in Rockford, Ill., which became one of the largest advertising agencies outside of Chicago, serving clients in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin. He moved the agency to San Diego in 1975, where it became one of the city’s largest agencies and successfully competed against much larger firms for many regional and national accounts. The agency closed in March 2000 after he was diagnosed with leukemia, but he is now in 90% remission. He is still an active supporter of the School of Journalism, a member of the Jefferson Club, and has hosted a roundtable, “Understanding the New Russia,” attended by 250 journalists and scholars.

Updated: July 13, 2012