John Smeltz John Smeltz remembers hitchhiking back to Wooster from Cleveland on the afternoon of December 7, 1941. Every driver’s radio was on and with each ride, he heard another piece of the terrible news unfolding at Pearl Harbor. When he arrived back on campus, he saw President Charles Frederick Wishart, who called him over to talk. "It’s war, John," Wishart said. "The world will never be the same again."

John had come to Wooster a year earlier, following in the footsteps of his parents, Emmett and Margaretta, both ‘18s. He played football, joined Fifth Section, and held one of the more unusual jobs on campus as a sophomore: he lived in the President’s House, caring for it when Prexy and Mrs. Wishart were away, and driving the presidential Buick when Wishart needed to be ferried up to Cleveland. He was also charged with taking care of Wishart’s collie, Matthew Arnold, whom he often brought along to his morning classes. One day, a history professor in full cry continued on past the ringing of the bell until the dog, who was waiting for John outside Kauke, began to bark. "OK, Matthew," the professor said, "I’ll quit."

The war accelerated John’s life. By taking courses during the summer, he accumulated enough credits to graduate with a B.A. in political science in May 1943 at the end of his junior year, and enlisted in the army. His diploma caught up with him during basic training in Texas. As a sergeant with the 69^th Infantry Division in Europe, he won the Bronze Star for leading his company to safety through a minefield.

After the war, John earned a law degree from Western Reserve University, married Barbara Spencer, settled down in Shaker Heights, and joined the Cleveland law firm that today bears the name Schneider, Smeltz, Ranney & LaFond.

"Back in eighth or ninth grade, we had to write an assignment on what we wanted to be when we grew up, and I wrote about being a lawyer," he recalls. Years later, a client who had been a classmate reminded him of the episode when she came to consult with John.

"When I joined the firm I was the fourth person and the only non-partner, so for a long time I did everything" including a fair amount of litigation. Today, most of his practice focuses on probate.

John has been deeply involved in his community and his church. He served 10 years as a city councilman in Shaker Heights, and is a former president of both the board of trustees of the Visiting Nurse Association and the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center. He has been an elder, deacon, and chairman of the board of trustees of the Heights Christian Church. His service to Wooster is equally extensive: as alumni trustee from 1967 to 1973, member of the board from 1982 to 1994, and emeritus life member of the board since 1994.

Both Smeltz children are Wooster alumni – John ’72 and Janet ’77 – but so far the Scot gene seems to be skipping a generation: a grandson is finishing his first year at University of New Hampshire and a granddaughter just graduated from Oberlin.