Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame
Meritorious Service
Del Smith, world-famous aviation entrepreneur, and founder and owner of Evergreen International Aviation, Inc., has been supporting Linfield athletics for more than 30 years.
Some of his contributions:
--He has provided transportation, lodging and meals for the Linfield baseball team when they have traveled to Arizona for preseason games.
--He has flown the coaching staff to various locations on recruiting trips.
--Smith and Evergreen have made major financial gifts to construction of the Rutschman Field House, renovation of Helser Field, and recently the football field and track renovation.
--He has also contributed funding for the new Nicholson Library as well as contributing to the Linfield Business Department, Edith Green Lecture Fund and the President's Discretionary Fund.
--Smith and Evergreen have given employment opportunities to many student-athletes and other Linfield students both during their time in college and upon their graduation from Linfield.
--He has actively directed Evergreen International Aviation since its inception 45 years ago. Evergreen is headquartered in McMinnville and employs more than 4,500 people at 100 bases worldwide, providing freighter aircraft, helicopters, and ground logistics, including the world's largest commercial aircraft storage facility and maintenance for NASA's shuttle aircraft carriers.
Smith also created Evergreen Humanitarian and Relief Services, Inc. to support local and international relief projects.
And he has branched into agriculture with about 8,000 acres in the Willamette Valley growing everything from nuts to grapes to Christmas trees.
His current pet project is the Evergreen Aviation Museum and complex, for which he brought the Spruce Goose, the largest airplane ever flown, to McMinnville.
Two of the mottos that Smith's company has used over the years "Quality Without Compromise" and "Commitment To Excellence."
Both are synonymous with Linfield Athletics.
