Reverend Philip A. Smith, O.P.

Father Smith, for thirty-seven years you have eminently fulfilled the vision of St. Dominic in living out your Dominican vocation, as a priest, as a preacher, as a scholar and as a teacher.

As a philosopher and a theologian, you continued the Dominican tradition of using all the powers of human reason to arrive at the one Truth that ultimately comes from God, convinced, as was St. Thomas Aquinas, that there is no conflict between faith and reason. Your passion for and understanding of the nature and value of Catholic higher education in the Dominican tradition has made you a valuable resource for both the Dominican Order and for education.

When you became President of Providence College, you had a clear understanding of its distinctive mission. During your eleven years as President, there has been, among all of the constituents of Providence   College, a clearer understanding of and support for that mission, a mission rooted in the Dominican pursuit of Truth and centered on service to its students.

During your presidency, you have enhanced the reputation of the College through your service on numerous corporate, civic and educational boards and councils. More importantly, you have enhanced the reputation of the College by your steadfast adherence to the principles for which it exists, which has enabled the College to improve continuously, throughout your presidency, the quality of the students it attracts and especially the quality of the students it graduates.

Providence College now bestows on you, Father Smith, its highest award,
The Veritas Medal
in recognition of your lifelong pursuit of Truth and for the enrichment that pursuit of Truth has brought to the College.