Jeffery (Jeff) A. Smith

JD '73

Inverness, FL

Jeff Smith was born in Ohio and moved to South Florida in 1961. After graduating from high school in 1966, he received an ROTC scholarship after enlisting in the Army. Due to an undetected medical condition, he could not be commissioned and received an honorable discharge. He graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida where he met his future wife. He applied to Stetson’s College of Law and was granted a full scholarship and received his JD in 1973. He spent three years with the State Attorney’s Office in Broward County and then went into private practice for 20 years, specializing in homicides and large narcotic cases.

Jeff retired in 1997 and moved to Citrus County where he went back to work as a prosecutor. Until he retired in 2013, he was a juvenile, drug, and mental health court prosecutor. Having had experience with drug courts in South Florida, he helped set up the same in Citrus County. This afforded him the opportunity to travel across the nation setting up new drug courts and lecturing about their effectiveness.

After a 40+ year absence from Stetson, he visited the campus in Gulfport. He became actively involved and figured it was time to give back. In his words, “After all, all that I have and have become as a result of the scholarship that Stetson gave me.”

Jeff married the former Patricia Forum after his first year at Stetson. They are both avid hunters, shooters, fishermen, and travelers, particularly on ships! They have two daughters and five grandchildren.

Jeff was elected to the Stetson University Board of Trustees in 2024.