The Notre Dame College Board of Trustees has named Ray and Eleanor Smiley as recipients of the Fidelia Award for their faithfulness and generosity to the College.
The College has honored them at an invitation-only dinner at the Mayfield Country Club on Friday, November 11.
The Smileys and the Smiley Family Charitable Foundation are committed to advancing numerous Catholic, educational and community organizations in Northeast Ohio, especially those institutions that serve marginalized populations.
Over the years, the Smiley’s have provided significant funding to the Notre Dame Thrive Learning Center, formerly the Academic Support Center, uniquely supporting students with learning differences. They were the first to offer a challenge grant to kick off a campaign to build an endowment for the Thrive Learning Center.
Today, the Smiley family has contributed nearly $1 million to support the Thrive Learning Center, the College’s environmental science and biology programs and the entrance to Notre Dame.
In addition, Ray and Eleanor Smiley have selflessly aided the College in making community connections that have generated several additional donations to the College.
In Person
Throughout the years, Smiley family have shown up to support Notre Dame’s special events, including student dinners, holiday concerts, plays and the annual Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society induction ceremony for students with learning differences.
Ray Smiley, born and raised in Maple Heights, Ohio, received his high school education from Holy Name in Parma, Ohio, where he graduated with honors. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during World War II. After his tour of duty, he attended John Carroll University and graduated magna cum laude in 1951 with a degree in accounting. He retired as the CFO at Bearings Inc., now Applied Industrial technologies, in 1992.
His volunteer efforts include serving on numerous boards, including Holy Name High School, Benedictine St. Thomas Abbey, John Carroll University and Hiram College.
For Philanthropy
In addition to their efforts on behalf of the College, the Smileys’ philanthropy has advanced many organizations in Cleveland, like the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, the Natural History Museum, the Alzheimer’s Association, the University of Akron and the Western Reserve Land Conservancy. The family established the Chair for Ethics at the Boler School of Business at John Carroll and the Hiram James Barrow Field Station for nature conservancy.
Through scholarship funds, the Smiley family has aided economically challenged students at Benedictine High School, Beaumont High School, Holy Name and Magnificat High School Franciscan Padua High School.
Among Distinction
In 2017, Ray and Eleanor Smiley were presented with the Outstanding Philanthropist Leadership Award by the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals for their outstanding philanthropic impact on non-profit organizations in the community.
Ray and Eleanor Smiley have been married for 70 years and have eight children, 21 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
As winners of the Notre Dame Fidelia Award, the Smileys will receive an original sculpture created by Joseph Turkey, commissioned in 1981, to fashion a distinctive image of Our Lady reflecting the ideals of the College. Called the Fidelia, or Faithful One, the award is 15 inches high and depicts Mary as a model of both reflection and service.
November 2022
About Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in South Euclid, Ohio, committed to teaching students how to make a good living and live a good life. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. For more information, visit NotreDameCollege.edu.