Fred Smith was a unique friend who I had the privilege and pleasure to attend school with at Alderson. Fred, was a person I really really liked. Why was Fred a person I liked to be around? Why did Fred appeal to me? Fred was always cheerful and a joy to be around. We attended many classes, and he was always very unique, his personality was vibrant, happy, and joyful. Fred had an unbelievable vice like grip. My recollection is Fred had the strongest grip ever experienced, Julius Eary totally agreed, he said he had never seen or felt anything like it.

As I reflect Fred did not graduate with our class, nor do I remember ever seeing him outside of the school environment. Even more interestingly, when he was no longer there I failed to notice his absence! It is only after many many years that I remember what a great guy he was to see and enjoy his company. Fred did chew tobacco, a habit I also was cursed with, so we secretly did it in our shared educational experience. His face is still vivid in my memory and his laughter will always ring in my ears. He was a wonderful human being. Allan, once told me he was in Detroit, but I never followed up, because how many Fred Smiths are there in Detroit and the surrounding areas?

There is no record of Fred graduating, so he must have dropped out. At any rate we all have people who have touched or made some impression on our lives, who are far back in some distant bracket of our brain. My wish would be that at sometime I may have the privilege to see and speak to Fred. Would we even recognize each other? My prayer is that God will give us a chance.