Chancellorship at UT Martin

Charles Edward Smith served as UT Martin’s fifth chancellor from 1980-1985.

He became chancellor of UT Martin in 1980 and served for five years before accepting a position as vice president of the UT System.

Education and Early Career

Smith was born in White County, Tennessee, to Cecil Edward Smith and Christine S. Newsome.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from UT Knoxville in 1961, a Master of Arts in English from George Peabody College in 1966, and a doctoral degree in higher education in 1976.

Smith began his journalism career in 1961 as editor of the Sparta Expositor newspaper.

He later became managing editor of the Putnam County Herald and Cookeville Citizen, and assistant news editor for the Nashville Tennessean in 1964.

University and Government Leadership

In 1967, Smith joined UT Knoxville as news bureau director and was promoted to public relations director in 1968.

From 1971-1975, he served as executive assistant to both the UT Knoxville chancellor and the UT System president.

In 1975, he was appointed chancellor of the University of Tennessee’s Nashville campus, a role he held for four years.

He returned to journalism in 1979 as editor of the Nashville Banner before becoming UT Martin chancellor in 1980.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1987, Smith became commissioner of education for Tennessee.

In 1994, he was named chancellor of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee.

He retired in 2000 after 32 years of state service.

Post-retirement, he served two terms as executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board under President George W. Bush.

He later concluded his career as vice president and head of the American College Testing Washington, D.C., office.