The Claire Smith Center for Sports Media is named for distinguished Klein College alumna Claire Smith, KLN ‘79, the first woman to be honored with the Baseball Writers' Association of America Career Excellence Award in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The center aims to follow Smith’s profound legacy and launch a new generation of sports media legends steeped in both practical knowledge and in the culture, theory and history of their field.

Reaching across both journalism and business, as well as maintaining a focus on multiculturalism and breaking down barriers associated with race and gender in the sports media industry, this cross-disciplinary, multiplatform program with a strong digital focus is built around Smith’s values: ethics, excellence and integrity.

With the only Sports Media Certificate of its kind for undergraduates, the Claire Smith Center will only add to the incredible sports media opportunities we are able to provide for our driven students.

Our Dedication to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Following Smith’s legacy as our guiding force, Klein College strives to research and incorporate elements of diversity, equity and inclusion into the sports media industry. 

Klein College is the 2018 winner of the Equity and Diversity Award from AEJMC. Following the reception of this award, Klein College developed a Diversity Advisory Council as well as the position of Diversity Advisor to the Dean - the first such position created in Klein’s history - held by Professor David W. Brown, was created in 2018. Professor Brown’s position and work provides us with the structure necessary to include diversity, equity and inclusion within the infrastructure of what the college is and intends to be. 

Aligning ourselves with the legacy of Claire Smith, we believe these values are imperative to success.