What Drives Irvin L. Smith?

Smith was born at Houston Negro Hospital and grew up in Houston's Third Ward. He attended Turner Elementary, William Miller Junior High and graduated from Jack Yates High School. He was popular at Yates; a jock and a musician. "I played first chair clarinet in the concert and marching bands," he sounds proud.

After a year in biology and chemistry at San Jacinto College, he enrolled at Texas Southern University, before joining the United States Army. Smith was a medic, during the Vietnam War. He was seriously wounded twice. His heroic actions earned two Purple Hearts, a Commendation with V Device for valor, and a combat medical badge.

Whether it's the fruit of working class parents or the aftertaste of bloody war, Smith dislikes wasted time. He's often overheard asking rhetorical questions, before giving a provocative answer. He spends hours speaking to youth inside and surrounding Houston. "How many people do you wake up with in the morning?," he asks a group of kids visiting his dealership. He listens to a few responses and continues. "You wake up with a hero and a bum. The hero wants to go to school, but the bum wants to stay home and watch soap operas, game shows and cartoons."

The twenty-seven year industry veteran has been getting up with the hero for a long time. After Vietnam, he returned home and spent four years carrying mail for the United States Postal Service. "I earned one of the nation's highest scores on the Civil Service Exam," he says, pulling out his actual test scores. He also returned to Texas Southern University and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

The decorated Vietnam veteran scored in the top 27% on another civil service exam and was a mail processing supervisor, by the time he started selling cars at Mosehart &Keller. Smith supervised postal workers from 9 pm to 5:45 am and sold cars from 8 am to 5 pm. "I made many personal sacrifices because folks weren't hiring part-time car salesmen. So, I would go directly to the lot, take a two hour nap, freshen up and change clothes," he recalls. Unfortunately he lost too much weight, and the sales manager fired him.

Smith had read "The Greatest Salesman in the World" and "How to Win Friends and Influence People." He already knew, statistically sales professionals are among America's highest paid income earners. He said good-bye to a promising postal career. "I would be Postmaster by now," insists the 8 year former owner of Community Ford/Livingston. He takes time to reflect, before continuing with a school boy smile, "No one would have voted me most likely to succeed."

The Acres Home Citizen's Chamber of Commerce voted Smith '97 Businessman of the Year. State Representative Senfronia Thompson honored him with a '97 Outstanding Texan Award. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) honored him, during their '98 Black History Month Luncheon. His business partner, Mel Farr, happily nominated him to serve on the Ford Lincoln Mercury Minority Dealers Association Board of Directors. He grabs the June '98 issue of Black Enterprise Magazine and points to his partner on the cover.

In February 1996, after hearing about plans to auction the inventory and demolish Northside Ford, Smith and Farr became partners. Mel Farr Ford/Houston rolled out more than $40 million in 1997. The dealership, located at Highway 59 North and Little York, ranks among the Mel Farr Automotive Group's top ten in automobile sales.

Smith was ceremoniously inducted into the 100 Black Men of Metropolitan Houston, along with Mayor Lee P. Brown, Texas Southern University President James Douglas, and Superintendent of the Houston Independent School District Rod Paige.. He accepts practically every invitation to speak. He especially enjoys presenting a free credit and finance seminar for churches, community and professional organizations. He is an active and visible member of the Ambassadors Club Executive Committee. Smith serves on the advisory board of the Sickle Cell Association of the Texas Gulf Coast. He sponsors youth programs for organizations such as the Rodney Hampton Foundation, Junior Achievement, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Muscular Dystrophy Association, USA Metroplex Pageant Systems, Inc., Texas Southern University, and the Jack Yates Track Team, to name a few.

"Your presence should make a difference," he states, during one of several visits to his cozy office. "We work hard to help communities and individuals that help us. I'm comfortable with our reputation for funding youth programs and sponsoring fundraising activities.

His daughter, Bianca, attends Lanier Middle School. There's a pretty photograph of her smiling at him from a handsomely crafted wall unit. Heather, Smith’s 22 year old daughter, is a recent accounting graduate of Prairie View A&M University and, she works at the dealership. His wife, Rhonda, is an engineer and graduate of the Prairie View A&M School of Engineering.

Smith has acquired a repertoire of success habits. He likes repeating quips and quotes. One of his favorites is "The harder I work, the luckier I get." He really enjoys saying, "Make a habit of doing those things that unsuccessful people don’t like to do." He loves repeating to others, "Always do more than is expected."

Unexpectedly, Bill Russell, the general manager needs to speak with him. Although he doesn't have time to explain, Smith says, "The more I do for others, the more I am able to do for myself."