W hen I think about Gary’s legacy, I think about people who didn’t just pass through history—they pressed it forward. Quentin P. Smith is one of those names that belongs in bold. A Tuskegee Airman. A barrier-breaker. An educator who helped shape generations. A civic leader who carried Gary on his back with quiet strength and evident integrity.  (Wikipedia)

Taking Flight in More Ways Than One

Born in Weldon, Texas, raised in East Chicago, and woven into the fabric of Gary, Smith took flight in more ways than one. During World War II he served as a bombardier with the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the Black airmen who proved—under pressure—that excellence shrugs off the limits of other people’s imaginations. Smith was part of the 477th group and stood up during the 1945 Freeman Field confrontation, when Black officers resisted segregated officers’ clubs—a principled act that helped bend military policy toward justice. Decades later, the nation formally recognized the Airmen’s heroism with the Congressional Gold Medal. (Wikipedia)

Education As a Runway

Smith came home and kept serving. He earned a master’s in English and poured himself into our city’s schools—teaching at Roosevelt High School, becoming the first principal of West Side High School, and helping launch the Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts. If you’ve ever met a Gary graduate who carries both confidence and craft, you’ve felt his imprint. He was also a guidance counselor, principal, and later the director of secondary education for the Gary Community School Corporation—five decades of steady leadership that turned classrooms into runways. (Wikipedia)

Leadership Beyond the Schoolhouse

Public service didn’t stop at the schoolhouse. Smith served on the Gary City Council (ultimately as council president) and later led the Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority. The bridge at the airport carries his name—a daily reminder that our city honors those who lift us. He also chaired (and championed) boards that preserved aviation history here at home, including efforts connected to the Aquatorium and the Tuskegee Airmen legacy on our lakefront. (WORLD)

The Spirit of Service

What moves me most about Smith’s story isn’t only what he achieved; it’s how he achieved it. He carried the discipline of a soldier, the curiosity of an educator, and the humility of a neighbor. In oral-history reflections, he talked plainly about the friction of serving a country that didn’t always serve him back—and still choosing excellence. That’s a spiritual posture as much as a professional one. (The Library of Congress)

A Legacy That Lifts

In 2013, at 94 years old, Mr. Smith completed his earthly mission. Gary honored him, as we should. But honoring him means more than plaques and program notes. It means we keep building the kind of city he invested in: one that believes in its young people, keeps doors open for talent, and refuses to let cynicism write our story. (Legacy.com)

Carrying the Torch

In 2013, at 94 years old, Mr. Smith completed his earthly mission. Gary honored him, as we should. But honoring him means more than plaques and program notes. It means we keep building the kind of city he invested in: one that believes in its young people, keeps doors open for talent, and refuses to let cynicism write our story. (Legacy.com)

How We Rise

As an artist and educator, I think about how Smith’s leadership still flies over our heads. When our students step into a studio, a lab, a shop, or a classroom and recognize that excellence is their birthright—not a favor—they’re walking the path he paved. When our city insists that history belongs to everyone, and we center the people who made it, we’re echoing his life’s work.

So here’s how we can carry the torch:

• Teach the full story. Tell our kids about the Tuskegee Airmen not as footnotes, but as frameworks for courage, teamwork, and skill under pressure. Bring those lessons into STEM, arts, and civic education—because Smith lived at the intersection of all three. (Wikipedia)
  
  
• Invest in talent—early and often. Smith’s career says that leadership is cultivated. Support our schools, after-school arts, aviation/STEM clubs, mentorship pipelines, and scholarships like the Quentin P. Smith Sr. Endowed Aviation Scholarship at Indiana State University. (indstate.academicworks.com)
  
  

Honor in action. Visit the Aquatorium, learn the names, and share the stories. Drive that airport bridge and say his name out loud. Let remembrance become recruitment—of the next pilot, principal, principal dancer, or principal investigator who will call Gary home. (South Shore CVA)

Eyes On the Horizon

Quentin P. Smith didn’t just break ceilings; he built ladders. In a time when it was easier to leave, he chose to lead—right here. May we rise to that standard, keeping our eyes on the horizon he showed us: excellence with purpose, service with dignity, and faith that what we build together can fly.

Sources for Further Reading

Concise biographies and history overviews, including the Tuskegee Airmen’s service, Smith’s education and civic leadership, and local honors:

• Wikipedia summary (good overview of military service and education career) (Wikipedia)
• Smithsonian Air & Space (post-war aviation leadership) (Smithsonian Magazine)
• Legacy/Post-Tribune obituary (education, council service, church, honors) (Legacy.com)
• South Shore CVA “Legends” profile (city roles, Aquatorium, airport) (South Shore CVA)
• Capital B Gary (local context; first principal of West Side
• airport bridge naming; Emerson VPA) (Capital B Gary)
• Library of Congress Veterans History Project (first-person context on service and segregation) (The Library of Congress)
• Indiana State University scholarship page (education-career summary) (indstate.academicworks.com)
• WORLD Magazine note on council/airport leadership (civic roles) (WORLD)