It’s likely that athletics at UA Fort Smith would not be what it is today without the hard work, dedication and forethought of former Lions basketball coach Jimmy Charles.
The Fort Smith native was an accomplished student-athlete at Fort Smith High School and at Hendrix College. He was a three-sport star during his time at Hendrix, which was interrupted by his service in the United States Navy during World War II. Charles, who earned the rank of lieutenant, saw combat in the Pacific Theater. After an honorable discharge, Charles returned to Hendrix to complete his degree and went on to graduate school at the University of Iowa. He received his master’s degree in physical education in 1948.
After joining the faculty of Fort Smith Public Schools as a physical education teacher, he established a highly successful elementary school coaches’ program in which students from Fort Smith Junior College could receive college credit for coaching in each of Fort Smith’s elementary schools. In realizing that objective, he laid the groundwork for league play in football, basketball, softball and track.
In 1954, Charles was hired by Fort Smith Junior College president Elmer Cook to become the college’s men’s basketball coach, a position he held for six years. During that time, Charles was instrumental in nurturing the Lions into a well-respected, competitive basketball program.
His greatest impact on the Lions athletic program came not necessarily on the court, but behind the scenes so to speak. A man of great vision, Charles was instrumental in the creation of the Bi-State Conference, a junior college athletics league consisting of colleges in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The fledgling Bi-State Conference eventually became one of the most-competitive and highly-revered conferences in the entire National Junior College Athletic Association.
Fort Smith Junior College, which later became Westark College and is today UA Fort Smith, remained a member until July 2009, when it left the NJCAA for NCAA Division II. During that time, the Lions won two NJCAA national championships in men’s basketball and one national championship in women’s basketball.
