James M. Smyth

James M. Smyth, a 1941 graduate of Emory & Henry College, was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 in recognition of his career as a sports writer.

After graduating from college, Smyth served in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. He returned home and began a career in print news with several papers in Virginia and West Virginia before moving to Johnson City, where he rose to the position of Executive Sports Editor for the Johnson City Press.

In addition to the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame, Smyth was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame and the Upper East Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame for his sports writing. He received the National Association of Professional Baseball Clubs minor league coverage award, Tennessee Press Association first-place awards in sports in 1967 and 1970, the College Football Centennial Award in 1969, and became an honorary life member of the University of Tennessee Volunteer Press Club.

James Smyth passed away at age 79 on September 12, 1998.