Each year the Annual State of the Schools is The Berneice Kerrigan Smith Forum on Education. Pictured: State of the Schools on August 24, 2015 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel Ballroom.
Berneice Kerrigan Smith was born on June 8, 1908 in St. Louisville in Licking County, Ohio. After graduating from Utica High School in 1925, she studied at Wittenburg College for two years. Later, she attended summer quarters at Denison and Ohio State Universities.
Mrs. Smith’s teaching career started in Licking Country teaching grades 3 and 4 at Hanover School, grades 1 through 8 at Concord School in Eden Township, and first grade at Utica School. She later taught in Cleveland Public Schools during and after World War II. IN 1949, Mrs. Smith and her husband, Joseph B. Smith, co-founded the Pipe Line Development Company where she worked until she retired in 1970.
This forum was established by a generous endowment gift from Mrs. Smith’s family in honor of her teaching career.
Are you a champion of free speech?
A gift to support the City Club’s Spring Campaign will ensure the growth of civil, civic dialogue in the year ahead.
Upcoming forums
We create conversations of consequence to help democracy thrive. Here's who is speaking next at the City Club. Be challenged. Learn something new. Join us.
Student engagement
Since its creation 30 years ago, over 30,000 students have participated at the City Club. Discover the different ways that students can get involved, here.
1 of 22