Butler Is ‘Bridge’ to Rush Co. Couple’s Future

W. Thomas Smith met Martha Hall, a daughter of former Indiana Congressman Albert R. Hall, while each was earning a bachelor’s degree in business at Butler University. They were married in Robertson Chapel on campus and graduated in 1946.

The Smiths settled near Arlington, Ind., in Rush Country, where they lived until their deaths — Martha in 2003 and W. Thomas in 2007. Both were active in personal stock and real estate investing, and Martha ran a yarn/knitting shop from their elegant turn-of-the-century home. They enjoyed traveling the Midwest on their Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

A family friend, Larry Stout met the Smiths when they all served on the board of Rush County Heritage, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the county’s many covered bridges. Stout said the Smiths “had a great love for the history of the county,” as well as a personal tie, in that one of the bridges was named for W. Thomas’s great-grandfather.

“Tom never knew a stranger,” Stout said. “He always made you feel good when you were around him.”

Stout said the Smiths spoke of their strong allegiance to Butler and their desire to give back to the University. The couple had no children, and, their estate was distributed to local charities and not-for-profits, with the majority going to Butler.

Over their lifetimes, the Smiths contributed more than $3 million to Butler and established an endowed scholarship fund. The bulk of those gifts came in the current decade and was left to the University’s unrestricted endowment.

“Mr. Smith had given consistently, albeit modestly, through the years,” said Butler Vice President for Advancement D. Mark Helmus. “A few years ago he made his first stock gift to begin funding the endowed scholarship. This led to conversations about his estate plans, including a sizable investment portfolio and real estate here in Indiana as well as California.

“I’m sure it was very gratifying for him to ultimately leave such a tremendous legacy for the University,” Helmus said. “We are very grateful for the Smiths’ generosity.”