Mignon C. Smith was born in Birmingham, Alabama on February 7, 1931. When she was five, her father's company, Avondale Mills, moved their executive offices to Sylacauga,Alabama. At the age of 13, Ms. Smith began volunteering by selling war bonds. With the help of her first filly, Invasion, she sold more war bonds than anyone in her school. Ms. Smith graduated from the Madeira School in Virginia near Washington, D. C. and later Briarcliff College at Briarcliff Manor, New York. She later attended the University of Alabama to study political science and journalism. In 1954 Ms. Smith became the youngest Joint Master of Fox Hounds in the United States. When she ordered her new
riding jacket, she selected a "pink" coat instead of the traditional black one worn by women hunt masters. When chided for this bold diversion from the traditional attire, she responded that she wanted to 'brighten up the Alabama hunt scene.'
• Work experience:
After college, Ms. Smith began the first English style riding school in the Birmingham area and ran a small stud farm. She established the first pony club in the area for young riders and the team went on to compete at a national level. Ms. Smith inspired many student and her school produced riders who later competed in the Grand Prix and rode with the Olympic Equestrian Team.
When her farm lease ran out, she moved to Washington, D. C. with a nucleus of her thoroughbred breeding stock. She continues to work full time managing Mede Cahaba Stable & Stud, LLC, an Alabama company, with over 60 home breds. Mede Cahaba is a regular thoroughbred race sponsor and Ms. Smith has received extensive awards and recognition for her work with thoroughbred racing groups. In addition to her racing endeavors, Ms. Smith, upon her move to D.C., became a radio news reporter for Alabama stations. She was a White House correspondent and was in the White House Press Room the night President Nixon resigned. Ms. Smith retired as Washington correspondent for the Alabama Radio Network after rep0l1ing news with and about Alabamians for some thirty years. Ms. Smith was a member of the Congressional Radio/TV Galleries and SPJ in Washington, D. C. She still belongs to the National Press Club.
• Community and volunteer service:
Ms. Smith has been an active member of the Alabama Republican Party since 1953.
She was Alabama's first young Republican Committee Woman and served as alternate delegate at large to the 1956 and 1960 National Republican Convention. She continues to maintain her Alabama residence residing part time at her Birmingham townhouse. She returns regularly to vote, serve on jury duty and participate in her native states' political process. She is particularly interested in getting young people to register to vote and addresses the issue at almost everyone of her speaking engagements. She has also supported many educational programs regarding the democratic process helping citizens to vote responsibly.
• Significant awards, honors, recognition:
The Alabama Department of Education has issued a resolution proclaiming their gratitude and thanks to Ms. Smith for her contributions to Alabama students. Senator Jeff Sessions wanted to honor her on the United States Senate Floor for her generosity to Alabama students, but Ms. Smith refused because she did not want Senate business taken up by frivolous recognitions.
• Nominee's major accomplishments meriting inclusion in the Alabama Academy of Honor:
Ms. Smith's concern for the democratic process in Alabama has resulted in her working long and hard for the establishment of a two party system. She has a civic interest in and working as a volunteer for registering and turning out the vote. Since the first amendment is important to Ms. Smith, she has worked for many years reporting the Washington political news to Alabamians, striving to report objectively and impartially, giving straight news without a slant. Her interest in horses also extended to improving their healthcare, she is interested in nutrition for horses and funded the research done by Dr. Frank Gravlee, an Alabama Veterinarian. She worked closely with 
Dr. Gravlee who continues this research and education for a balance in equine and animal nutrition. She is presently working on a project to address the issue of stomach ulcers in young foals and mares. Dr. Gravlee stated that her unwavering, fierce adherence to her horses and the people who have helped her with the care of her horses is such a rarity in the thoroughbred industry. In 2004, Ms. Smith gave the public school system of Alabama, the largest endowment in the history of the state. She established the J. Craig and Page T. Smith Scholarship Foundation to assist those student who have given back to Alabama through volunteer work and assistance to family and who will continue to contribute to the Alabama community. Ms. Smith hopes to retain these talented Alabamians in our great state by educating them in state and assisting them in finding positions and careers that will keep them in Alabama.
These foundation and the scholarships are named for her father and mother, J. Craig and Page T. Smith .. A grade average of C or above is the minimum, with preference given to those students who are first in family to attend college. Extensive volunteer service and / or family care are also required. The recipients are those students who have managed to excel in helping others while overcoming physical, financial or emotional obstacles. Many good students who have been lost in the system now receive a chance to further their education. These scholarships pay full tuition and expenses for Alabama students to attend qualified Alabama Colleges of their choice. A minimum of C grade average and at least 52 hours of annual volunteer work is necessary to continue the four year scholarships. There are 33 students now attending Alabama Colleges on these full scholarships. The Foundation will eventually receive funding of $40 million and hopes to sponsor up to 100 scholars a year at Alabama institutions. Ms. Smith takes an active role in the Foundation attending awards day ceremonies and providing material for workshops and training sessions for the selected scholars. She believes that Alabama's citizens are its greatest resources and this is the reason she has endowed the future of its young adults. She has been quoted as saying that the children of Alabama are her children.
Because of her concern about the loss of integrity in the current generation of businesses, Ms. Smith recently endowed the J. Craig Smith Chair for Integrity in Business at the University of Alabama with a $5 million gift. This chair was the cornerstone to begin the Alabama Center for Ethical and Social Responsibility. Stephen R. Black, the grandson of Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, heads the center and works closely with Ms. Smith to develop areas of studies for a cross discipline training of ethics. Ms. Smith continues to make additional contributions to fund the Center's activities and takes part in the Moral Forum debate showcasing the student finalists who compete for scholarships by debating difficult moral issues that face our society .