Why have a scholarship in the name of Arnett Smith Sr.?
The purpose of the scholarship is to honor the legacy of Arnett Smith Sr. and the impact he made on the Marion County, Orange Lake, Florida community. This community is the land he was born and lived on, then owned, farmed, and raised his family with his wife Ella. Arnette Smith Sr. was an African American man who fulfilled the American dream through hard work, smart decisions, keeping his faith, and protecting his culture while prevailing against adversity. With only a third-grade education, he owned dozens of acres of land, married, fathered ten children, farmed, homestead, and worked labor jobs to raise his family.
The contributions to Arnett Sr.’s community extended beyond his family and reached into the athletes and fans of baseball. In the 1940’s, there were about ten to twelve acres of wooded land adjacent to Arnett Sr.’s homestead. He and several of his friends decided to give the youth an opportunity to play, compete, and host baseball and softball games. They all worked together to clear the land of old trees and debris and developed a full-size baseball field that eventually included bleachers, a box office, and a concession stand.
This development inspired the entire community and surrounding towns to join a team or create one of their own. The first original team formed before the field was complete was The Orange Lake baseball team followed by The Orange Lake softball team. One of the most famous teams to spawn from this renaissance was the Orange Lake All-Star Team. During Arnett’s era, many games were played on this field, with him playing shortstop and any other position required by the Orange Lake team. Arnett Sr. was adamant about using baseball as a form of discipline and character building for children, including his own. His children and notably of one of his sons spearheaded one of the most successful homecoming baseball events in central Florida that continues to date.
During the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s, Arnett Smith Sr. and his descendants occupied most of the Orange Lake’s community in population and land ownership. Several of his children and grandchildren attended colleges, universities, and technical schools to become successful in their lives. However, other children and descendants were not as fortunate. The lack of furthering their education was not due to low intelligence, grades, or desire, but a deficiency of funds, which too often lead to a loss of hope. Classmates, teammates, neighbors, friends, and other community residents, often faced the same dilemma. Those who played on the baseball teams, attended the same churches, farmed the land, mourned deaths, celebrated births, and attended weddings, were hindered by the unawareness, minimum opportunities, and limited access to secondary educational funds.
The purpose of this scholarship is to honor the legacy of Arnett Smith Sr. and the friends who helped develop the baseball field by providing the high school graduates of the Orange Lake community with funding opportunities to extend their formal education. We know how much Arnett Smith Sr. accomplished with only a 3rd grade education, how much more could others do from the same community with a college education?
In Arnett Smith Senior’s honor, ENS, Inc. has established a scholarship program to assist students who plan to continue their education in college.
General Eligibility
Applicants to the ENS, Inc. / Arnett Smith Sr. Memorial Scholarship must:
Self-identify as Black or African American
Be a high school senior or graduate of a public, private or parochial high school in Alachua County or Marion County Florida
Plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university in the state of Florida
Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent)