Hall of Fame
Stephen "Smitty” Schmidt was considered "the Stormiest Petrel of them all" by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and those around him.
Schmidt grew up in Moorestown, New Jersey and was orphaned at age 10. He became a star player on his high school football team, earning an athletic scholarship to Oglethorpe. Schmidt hitchhiked down from New Jersey to attend. He was a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and the Yankee club.
After graduation, he coached football and taught at Baxley High School. During WWII, he was a B-29 pilot in the Pacific theater and named his plane "The Stormy Petrel". Schmidt flew in 15 missions, including the final raid over Tokyo before the atomic bombs were dropped. He named his plane the "Stormy Petrel". Following the war, he again coached football and was a teacher at North Fulton High School. From there, he worked at Dixie Seal & Stamp Co. and later became its owner. In the 1950s Schmidt transitioned the company to produce novelty license plates for Kellogg, Lay's,and Disney theme parks.
Schmidt was President of the National Alumni Association and was on Oglethorpe’s Board of Trustees, serving as Chairman for 14 years. Oglethorpe named a residence hall and a recreation center after him in recognition of his service. His son, Stephen Schmitt Jr., also became a distinguished alum. Schmidt Sr. was also a stockholder in the Atlanta Crackers and a founding member of the Braves 400 Club. He supported the Atlanta Tipoff Club, and today there is a basketball supporter award named in his honor. He was an active member of the Atlanta Rotary Club for over 40 years, and he was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
Schmidt and his wife Jeanne had two children, Stephen and Leslie, plus four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He passed away on May 8, 2005, aged 88.
