Beloit College

I grew up in a small town in rural southwest Wisconsin.  I had the opportunity to go to several different liberal arts colleges, but chose Beloit because of Coach Knapton and how close it was to my family.  It was a decision which I never regretted and it obviously changed my life forever.  Coach Knapton was more than a coach, but a "father figure" and over the years taught us not only basketball, but also what is important in the life for a young man.  I once asked him why he didn't coach in Division I?  He replied "I coached in Division I and didn't like it.  I came to Beloit College and was smart enough to realize that this was the perfect place for me.  I could coach scholar-athletes who have come for an education and play basketball because they love the sport, not because they are required".  
 
Beloit academically challenges you to not just be good, but to be the best.  Beloit was a "safety net" so that trying something new and failing was "acceptable", but not trying something new was not acceptable.  You were encouraged to learn in a variety of areas and develop skills you never knew you had.  The relationship with faculty is and was fundamental to a student's success at Beloit College.
 
Events in my first week at Beloit turned out to be critical to my remaining at Beloit.  As a new student, we were required to read two books over the summer and two teachers reviewed them.  One of the professors was Dr. McAllister.  I "ran" into him a week after the book review and we talked about it and he asked me my name.   Just before the Thanksgiving recess, I was trudging along when I met him again.  He asked "How is it going, Lloyd"?  He had never met me since the first meeting and he still remembered my name.  Well, things were not going that well, but I said "fine".  That little kindness was HUGE!  The second event was my meeting Lanier Gordon.  I had never met a black man or played sports against one before coming to Beloit.  He was to become my best friend for over 55 years.  This relationship has been a "rock" in my life.  That Thanksgiving, I was offered a full ride to a different school, but turned it down because of these two events.
 
Playing basketball for Coach Knapton was a pleasure.  The players were actually friends and liked each other which made it easier to emphasize the point of winning as a team--not as an individual.  That relationship helped us in our last two years to have the 2nd and 3rd best winning percentage in Coach Knapton's 40 years.  One unique experience during my senior year was that I drove the second station wagon to games.  Drive to the game, play 40 minutes, then drive to the next school.  I doubt that the administration even knew about it.  We played in a holiday tournament each year and were able to go to Winona, MN, Waukesha, WI, and Northfield, MN.  The following two years the team went to Florida and Hawaii.  There must be a learning curve to these tournaments.
 
I would like to thank Beloit College and its faculty for helping to shape me into the man I have become.
 
Lloyd M. Smith  '67