One of the founding fathers of the Lone Star Conference, the late Lewis Ingraham (L.I.) Smith of Texas A&M-Commerce has been selected as one of three people to receive the highest award conferred by the conference, membership in the Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor. Smith joins Texas A&M-Kingsville's Fred Nuesch and West Texas A&M's Julie Myatt O'Dell as members of the 2005 class.

A long-time faculty athletic representative for A&M-Commerce when it was known as East Texas State Teachers College, Smith was instrumental in the formation of the LSC in 1931 and served as it's first president until he requested to step down in 1936.

He was re-elected to the post in 1945 and served until 1950 when he stepped down as the university's faculty athletic representative. Smith authored the LSC Constitution, along with L.E. King of Sam Houston State and Theron Fouts of North Texas State, in 1931.

The business manager and a mathematics professor from 1917 until 1951, he was the faculty athletic representative most of his tenure. Former A&M-Commerce president Dr. F.H. "Bub" McDowell stated that "Smith did more than anyone else to upgrade athletics at ET and the LSC."

He was inducted into the A&M-Commerce Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981, the fourth class selected.

Additionally, Smith served as mayor of the city of Commerce, was a founding member of the Commerce chapter of Lions Club International, was a leader in the Commerce Boy Scouts and president of the Lone Star Area Council of BSA.

Smith passed away in December of 1957.

L.I. Smith becomes the fifth Lion named to the Hall of Honor. Athletic director emeritus Jesse J. Hawthorne was a member of the inaugural class of 1996, with former athletic trainer and track and field coach Delmer Brown selected in 2000. Former Lion quarterback Wade Wilson was chosen in 2003 and retired head football coach Ernest Hawkins selected in 2004.