Smades, Helen, 1992 Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award recipient
Item
Title
Smades, Helen, 1992 Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award recipient
Description
Talks about moving to Fresno in 1945 during the war and living with her sister, Dorothy, getting a job as a legal secretary. She discusses getting married and having a child and her decision to return to work and becoming a realtor and real estate broker. She talks about starting her own firm, initially working out of her house before renting an office and breaking down barriers for women in the real estate business. She discusses how she became involved in giving back to the community, how her parents inspired her by participating in community organizations, and how she became involved with the Cancer Society, became the first female president of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and served on the California Chamber Board and Blue Shield of California Board. She talks about her friendship with Leon and Alice Peters, what it meant to her to receive the Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award, gives advice to future generations starting out in business and philanthropy and discusses the future of Fresno.
Creator
Smades, Helen
Mehas, Dr. Peter G.
Relation
Leon S. Peters Legacy Collection
Coverage
Fresno, California
Date
2000
Format
Microsoft word 2003 document, 8 pages
Identifier
SCMS_lspl_00031
extracted text
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: 1992, Leon S. Peters recipient, Helen Smades, the first
and only woman ever, ever to get this most prestigious award by the Fresno
Chamber of Commerce. Helen, you came to Fresno when you were 17. Tell us about
growing up in Fresno, or when you were 17?
>>Helen Smades: Well it was rather scary because I arrived on May 10, 1945, from
Klamath Falls, Oregon, on the train. The only person I knew here was my sister
Dorothy who was then going to Fresno State and dating Leo Garabedian who was the
football star there.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yes.
>>Helen Smades: So we got off the train and Leo gave Dot a big hug and then he
said, you're obviously Helen. And he gave me a big hug and said welcome to
Fresno. And his family took me in, and Leo just like, I love the Armenian
people, they just, I was Dot's sister, I was just part of the family. They
weren't married, they were dating and Dot and I lived on Kerckhoff with the
Pieper family. There was the Pieper Dancing School and they had six children,
four of them were in the service, World War II was still on. You couldn't get an
apartment; you couldn't get a room to rent. But Dorothy had befriended Ada Mae
Pieper and they had a room attached to the garage and Dorothy was living there
and nice Catholic family, they took in Dorothy's sister and so we both lived
there. And at night they'd leave the door open, we could go in and use the
bathroom in the house. And then on August 15th, VJ Day, I remember it perfectly,
we got an apartment at the Ward Apartments, and that's on Divisadero just off of
Van Ness, we were so excited. It was a basically a one room apartment, a big
living room with a Murphy bed that would come down and it had one window
outside, no cooling and it had a tiny kitchen and tiny bathroom and a long hall
with our entrance to our apartment off that long hall. And we'd leave that door
open at night because I was sleeping in this tiny Murphy bed, it was supposed to
be a double bed, with my sister and it was so hot in Fresno, I couldn't believe
it. And the only cooling we got was from the one window and the open hall door.
So anyway, it was wonderful, it was exciting. I immediately got a job as a legal
secretary.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So that was your professional beginning as a legal
secretary.
>>Helen Smades: That was my professional beginning because I'd had 12 years of
school at Sacred Heart Academy in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I was very good at
typing, shorthand and bookkeeping and they hired me. A hundred dollars a month,
I walked to work and I worked in the Helm Building at first and then changed to
the Brix Building. I mean all the best buildings were downtown on Fulton Street.
So ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, from a 17-year-old girl from Klamath Falls, to one
of the most successful businesswoman in the history of Fresno, having your own
real estate, how did you get into the real estate business?
>>Helen Smades: Well I was a legal secretary for five years. And four of those
years I was married to Harold Smades and then our first daughter was born. So I
decided that I would stay home but Harold's family store was in Madera and he
was gone from 7:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night, six days a week so I
started doing jobs at home because I was bored, I had always worked. Had my
first job when I was 12 in Klamath Falls, so. Just had always worked, always
like working. And so I was phoning for a realtor named Stuart Hunter, you may
remember him, Pete, but not a lot of people remember him.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: I don't think so, I have no idea.
>>Helen Smades: He had a famous brother, Oakley Hunter.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yeah, okay I remember Oakley.
>>Helen Smades: Who I knew Oakley because I was Oakley's secretary.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Congressman?
>>Helen Smades: Congressman Oakley Hunter and later President of Fannie Mae.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Fannie Mae.
>>Helen Smades: So, that was my entree to Stuart was having worked for Oakley.
And so I was reading the classified sections of the newspaper and getting all
the information for Stuart about houses. I found it so fascinating that after
three years of staying home and doing all of these jobs at home, Harold Smades
said, you can go back to work, I'll let you go back to work. And I thought if I
had more children it would help, I could never seem to have anymore babies, so.
I, in that time in 1953 when I started in the real estate business they only
gave the real estate exam once a month in Fresno. And you had to be sponsored by
a broker. So Stuart said he would sponsor me, which he did. So I couldn't wait
so I drove to Sacramento. And in those years you had to take four exams to ever
be a broker. The first exam I took, passed it with flying colors because of my
legal background I'm sure and legal secretary background. And that license came
out, salesman's license and it was good for only one year, between the ninth and
twelfth month you had to take a second exam which was twice as hard or twice as
long. And I passed that and then I had a permanent salesman's license. Then
after working two full years for Stuart he could say I'd had so many
transactions and sponsor me to be eligible for the broker's license. Then I did
that. Passed the first one which was only, you couldn't open your own office
because it was only good for one year and you couldn't be assured you, you know,
get the permanent one. So I passed the second one and then I was a full-fledged
broker. So by that time, that was 1956, and by then I had another daughter and
by 1957 I'd had my third daughter and that's when I decided to open up my own
office. Which I opened up in my home and I could hire, I hired my sister and
some of my then girlfriends. And I had to open a branch office in each one of
their homes so that they could work for me. So after a year in my home my
wonderful dad said to me, honey, I think you need an office. I said, I don't
have time to look for an office. He said, oh, Dot and I will do it. So he went
down, rented an office for me on Blackstone and for $125 dollars a month, 1957,
and I was on Blackstone for 17 years and then moved to my office on Shaw Avenue.
But it just mushroomed, Pete. It was, I loved it, I mean to this day it's been
46 years been selling real estate. And people say, what do you like about it?
And each day is new and different and new faces, new stories behind those faces.
And it's a happy business. A lot of businesses aren't happy I don't think.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: For future generations, to truly appreciate that your
accomplishments, the fact that when you were developing your business and came
here many women were involved in teaching, schoolmarms or nursing.
>>Helen Smades: Uh-huh.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: It was very unusual for them to go into the, you were
really a harbinger of change, an early pioneer for women professionalism in this
town. How were you received by some of the good old boys?
>>Helen Smades: There were only 11 women in the real estate business when I
started. And I immediately was told by a wonderful man, Jimmy Strachan, a well
known realtor at that time. He said, you need to join the multiple listing, you
need to join the realty board, you need to become active there in order to gain
the respect of the men realtors. And so I did that. The interesting thing is, is
that, we had to belong to a women's division, we couldn't go to their meetings.
We met in someone's living room, one of the lady's living rooms, we rotated our
living rooms and but we were able to decorate for the breakfast and for the barn
dance we had and a few things like that. And we could go to the multiple
breakfasts and ultimately we got integrated.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Separate but not equal in the vote visually.
>>Helen Smades: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Because this is important that people know you had to sort
of break the barriers as you got in.
>>Helen Smades: Well a couple of, well one man in particular, bless his heart he
passed away at an early age, but he said to me more than once, this is a man's
business, Helen. You should be home taking care of your children. And I learned
at Sacred Heart Academy you just turn the other cheek. I never said a word. But
it just made me work all the harder and try to be just all the better.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well you showed that clearly with perseverance and charm
that has always been one of your characteristics. As we look at the Leon S.
Peters Award, clearly it stands for excellence in business. But a big component
is community service. And Helen Smades’ name is associated with community
service and community giving as well as philanthropy. How did you get involved
with community service and what motivated you to continue on with community
service?
>>Helen Smades: I think I learned that at home from my mother and father in
Klamath Falls, Oregon. Actually born in Portland but only lived there for two
years so, all my schooling and really growing up was in Klamath Falls. But my
dad belong to the Knights of Columbus and he was the Grand Knight, belonged to
the Elks and he was the, whatever the Elks President is and Chamber of Commerce.
And my mother was in the Altar Society and we just, I just learned growing up
with my sister that we, I earned the vestments for the church and the Altar
clause and I could see my parents just giving all the time. And really looking
back, when I left home in 1945 to come to Fresno, my dad had been with Great
Northern Railroad for 25 years and was making $200 dollars. So we didn't have
money but they gave a lot of their time to help others. And I just, I just
started that. My first volunteer job in, was 1950, had a neighbor Anne McMillan
who said Helen, will you be a block worker for the Cancer Society? And I said,
oh sure, teach me how to do it, I didn't know how to do that. And well, then by
1961 I guess it was, I was the Fresno County Cancer President, it just worked up
from, I did a good job at that one block, then they gave me maybe a four-block
area and a Captain and just, I mean I liked doing that and felt it was so
worthwhile. And once you're on one organization and if the board members there
think you're doing a good job, your name sort of goes around. So I got invited
to others and it just worked from there.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You, part of your culture then as far as your upbringing,
that Catholic culture of ->>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: it's better to give than to receive.
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And so you were brought up in that area.
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you began to take these various leadership roles, and
then you became President of the Chamber of Commerce. As my memory serves me
correctly, you were the first woman ->>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: President as well. Many firsts for Helen Smades. What was
it like being the first President, woman President of the Fresno Chamber of
Commerce?
>>Helen Smades: Well, it was really very exciting because 1985 was the year that
I was President, it was also Fresno’s Centennial year.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: So, I tell you, it was just, in fact my friends kept saying, why
are you calling so many press conferences. We see you on TV, in the paper. I
said, I'm not doing it. So it gave me a lot of visibility which was the entree
to my being invited to be on the California Chamber Board that same year. And
when I went on that--to my first meeting, I was quite shocked it was an 80person board, there were 79 men and Helen. I have always felt that I was the
token that they needed and somebody said, we need a woman. And somebody in
Fresno said, I think it was Lew Eaton who ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: First recipient of the ->>Helen Smades: of the Leon S. Peters Award and the man who really spearheaded
the thought of having the Leon S. Peters Award. And Lew Eaton was on the
California Chamber Board at that time. So that's how I got on that board. That
first year after that, I got invited to be on the Blue Shield of California
Board which I'm still on.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: And it's just ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Cream does rise to the top, people eventually sees ->>Helen Smades: Well I don't know about that but it was, been nice for me.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Let's talk about Leon S. Peters. I know you worked with
him but you also, he considered you a good friend and you considered him a good
friend. Let's talk about Leon.
>>Helen Smades: Leon and, and I always say Leon and Alice. I considered Leon and
Alice as a team, a perfect team. And it was hard to just say Lee Peters; it was
almost always easier to say Lee and Alice because she was there constantly with
him. Very quiet often and but she's a powerful woman. But they were personal
friends. Alice is still a personal friend, right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Sure.
>>Helen Smades: But, they came to parties at my house and dinner parties and I
to their home. And I marvel at that man with, how much he did with so little at
that time. And the fact that the Armenian people were persecuted in Fresno. One
of the saddest days of my life was about 1946 and, or '47 and my sister said,
oh, she and Leo were married by then. And we had just bought a house on Van Ness
Blvd. on the corner of Princeton and Van Ness, a cute little red tile roof home,
it was wonderful, we got so excited. Two weeks later, she was crying and said,
we got the deed restrictions and Armenians cannot live in that area. And they
bought a house out on East Grant where the Armenians were, where it was alright
for them to live. And I grew up, my maiden name was Lesmeister, I knew I was
German because my grandparents spoke German and our doctor was Doctor Dietchy
[assumed spelling] and I had to sing Ach lieber Augustin for him. And he came to
our house to see him. And nobody liked him during the war. I mean, my dad felt
so sorry for him. But my best friend was Anita Carninni [assumed spelling], I
found later she was Italian. We never talked about nationalities in Klamath
Falls.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: And it was just probably Protestants and Catholics maybe but,
but not, and I felt so sorry for the Armenian people. But thinking back how well
he did and never mentioning what he had to go through on that persecution like
the Armenian people did.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Through hard work and education, the Armenian people
become the most respected ethnic groups in Fresno today.
>>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As we all [inaudible].
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely, wonderful people. And I say, you know, they just
took me in and I love them all just like I was part of the Armenian family
group. But Leon Peters could stand up and convince a group of people in a very
quiet calm manner in words that would be chosen by an attorney really of why
something should be done. And people just said, all right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What did it mean to you having known Lew Eaton, Leon
Peters, these pillars of the community which you now are and have been, what did
it mean to you to get to be the recipient of that award?
>>Helen Smades: It was so exciting, Pete. It just, it was certainly something
that I would never dream that would have happened to a little girl from Klamath
Falls. That it truly was an honor, it's still today, it's a big honor. I have it
in a prominent place in my house. I'm just very proud of it. And I've, you know,
I still don't know how or why I got it but it's still a great, wonderful feeling
and I'm so appreciative.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, everybody recognizes you’re so deserving of it and
clearly you personify all that the award stands for. What would you recommend to
young people starting out today? So many of them want to start off as the
president of the firm but you've gone through from legal secretary, a young gal
from Klamath Falls at 17 and you've risen to where you are. What advice would
you give them [inaudible]?
>>Helen Smades: I would say become involved whether it's a girl scout leader or
if you're not there yet, helping out with soccer teams or baseball teams or
something like that. Just trying to help out. I know here in Fresno there's lots
of opportunities for the young people to be candy stripers at Saint Agnes
Hospital or lots of other out at Valley Children's Hospital. Just become a
volunteer and try to help someone that is not as fortunate as you and
volunteering you'll find that what you're giving comes back around much more
than you're giving. And the old expression, what goes around comes around, I say
it comes around two or three times. It just, it's very good. And the people you
meet and the feelings that you'll get of being a volunteer will be very
valuable.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You've seen lots of changes in Fresno. In particular as a
realtor you’ve seen the direction the city is moving and going.
>>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What do you see as the future of Fresno?
>>Helen Smades: It's probably going to be bigger then most of us want it to be.
But I think Fresno is going to continue to grow. I think back when I came that
Shaw Avenue was two lanes and Fresno Air Terminal was a Quonset hut from Hammer
Field. And I see we're strategically positioned being the geographical center of
the state and within two hours of three national parks, two ski resorts two
hours away. When I tell my traveling friends how easy and wonderful it is in our
lakes for our water sports here, we're going to continue to attract a lot of
people. I would hope that somebody that Port of Fresno, that designation that we
have, could perhaps mean from the far east this would become a big distribution
center here and use our airport and our port authority to go through customs and
distribute from here. Because we, with the rail service and the freeway system
and, do you think that would work?
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yes. What about the talk of the baseball diamond and the
lake and all that, that's ->>Helen Smades: Oh, I think that's exciting.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yeah.
>>Helen Smades: I think that's exciting. I love baseball. My dad was a volunteer
scout for the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels and he ended up with
two daughters. So, I used to know how to keep score, baseball score and official
ones. And went to a lot of games and probably the only disappointment my sister
and I ever gave my parents, we didn't marry a baseball player, neither one of
us.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well talking about daughters and I have to ask this ->>Helen Smades: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: because I've been privileged to know your daughters.
>>Helen Smades: Yeah, uh-huh.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: We've talked about your success as a businesswoman, we've
talked about your success as a community involvement, in community involvement
as a leader but I know of you're extremely proud of your daughters and
grandchildren.
>>Helen Smades: Right. I have four daughters.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And I know you have four daughters.
>>Helen Smades: Four daughters and eight grandchildren.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Eight grandchildren.
>>Helen Smades: Uh-huh. And I have to say that I had two wonderful husbands.
Lost Harold Smades when he was only 35, the father of my four daughters but then
I was very fortunate to meet and marry Bob Kline, Fresno's first City Manager
and he was very supportive of my role as the Chamber President and everything I
did. He was right there, just saying go for it, go for it. So, without the
support of a spouse or your family, you certainly can't do volunteer work.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: One last question. You've had lots of successes in your
career, you've been blessed by a wonderful family and many, many good friends.
But everyone, whether you're a business person or an athlete have
disappointments and setbacks. What sustained you when you had those
disappointments or setbacks? Your faith?
>>Helen Smades: Yeah, I think my very strong faith. I've, I believe that God
doesn't give you more than you can handle and I somehow developed the philosophy
of thinking I'm talking to God and say, these are the things I want to put on
your shoulders and would you please give them back to me just one at a time. And
I've always felt, huh, you know kind of relieved and then it seems like it works
out. It works out. And you still have to say, if you're blessed with good health
like, God blessed me with good health, and lots of energy, more energy than most
people want me to have. Those are big blessings.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: I've asked you a lot of questions. Is there anything that
for posterity and that you'd like to cover that I didn't mention?
>>Helen Smades: I would just say the people in Fresno have been very good to me.
Very good to me. And I'm glad my dad taught me this one good lesson, after I,
you know, I had this good law firm job as legal secretary and I'd been here
maybe about a month and a half and it bothered me, I was going to church at St.
John's Cathedral, I didn't see one face I knew, nobody ever said hello, you
know. And here in Klamath Falls, my family knew everybody. So I called home and
said, Daddy, you said you had three different secretarial jobs that you could
get me in Klamath Falls and I said, whatever one you can get, would you find out
if they're still available. I don't like Fresno, I'm coming back. And he said,
why and so I gave him those reasons. And he said, I'll tell you one thing honey,
your mom and I love you very much and if you ever have to come home for health
reasons or something like that, you're welcome. But you did make your bed and
now you sleep in it. And it was the best lesson I've ever, and I've used that on
my daughters. I guess that's an old expression, you made the decision, now you
stand with it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Good words of advice. Well Helen, you said that the people
of Fresno have been very kind to you. I think that's reciprocal. You've been
very, very kind to the people of Fresno. And your legacy will live on through
all the accomplishments that you and your colleagues have done together. And
truly you personify all that is right about the Leon Peters Award. So on behalf
of the Chamber and the Valley Business Conference Committee, we congratulate you
for your years of success. And it's certainly an honor to have you on this
video.
>>Helen Smades: Thank you Pete, dear friend.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You're a friend as well.
>>Helen Smades: Friend of my, you were the superintendent when my Patty got out
of USC and brand new schoolteacher at Dry Creek Elementary. And she loved it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And we loved her. Thank you.
>>Helen Smades: Thank you. Goodbye.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Bye, bye.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====
and only woman ever, ever to get this most prestigious award by the Fresno
Chamber of Commerce. Helen, you came to Fresno when you were 17. Tell us about
growing up in Fresno, or when you were 17?
>>Helen Smades: Well it was rather scary because I arrived on May 10, 1945, from
Klamath Falls, Oregon, on the train. The only person I knew here was my sister
Dorothy who was then going to Fresno State and dating Leo Garabedian who was the
football star there.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yes.
>>Helen Smades: So we got off the train and Leo gave Dot a big hug and then he
said, you're obviously Helen. And he gave me a big hug and said welcome to
Fresno. And his family took me in, and Leo just like, I love the Armenian
people, they just, I was Dot's sister, I was just part of the family. They
weren't married, they were dating and Dot and I lived on Kerckhoff with the
Pieper family. There was the Pieper Dancing School and they had six children,
four of them were in the service, World War II was still on. You couldn't get an
apartment; you couldn't get a room to rent. But Dorothy had befriended Ada Mae
Pieper and they had a room attached to the garage and Dorothy was living there
and nice Catholic family, they took in Dorothy's sister and so we both lived
there. And at night they'd leave the door open, we could go in and use the
bathroom in the house. And then on August 15th, VJ Day, I remember it perfectly,
we got an apartment at the Ward Apartments, and that's on Divisadero just off of
Van Ness, we were so excited. It was a basically a one room apartment, a big
living room with a Murphy bed that would come down and it had one window
outside, no cooling and it had a tiny kitchen and tiny bathroom and a long hall
with our entrance to our apartment off that long hall. And we'd leave that door
open at night because I was sleeping in this tiny Murphy bed, it was supposed to
be a double bed, with my sister and it was so hot in Fresno, I couldn't believe
it. And the only cooling we got was from the one window and the open hall door.
So anyway, it was wonderful, it was exciting. I immediately got a job as a legal
secretary.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So that was your professional beginning as a legal
secretary.
>>Helen Smades: That was my professional beginning because I'd had 12 years of
school at Sacred Heart Academy in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I was very good at
typing, shorthand and bookkeeping and they hired me. A hundred dollars a month,
I walked to work and I worked in the Helm Building at first and then changed to
the Brix Building. I mean all the best buildings were downtown on Fulton Street.
So ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, from a 17-year-old girl from Klamath Falls, to one
of the most successful businesswoman in the history of Fresno, having your own
real estate, how did you get into the real estate business?
>>Helen Smades: Well I was a legal secretary for five years. And four of those
years I was married to Harold Smades and then our first daughter was born. So I
decided that I would stay home but Harold's family store was in Madera and he
was gone from 7:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night, six days a week so I
started doing jobs at home because I was bored, I had always worked. Had my
first job when I was 12 in Klamath Falls, so. Just had always worked, always
like working. And so I was phoning for a realtor named Stuart Hunter, you may
remember him, Pete, but not a lot of people remember him.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: I don't think so, I have no idea.
>>Helen Smades: He had a famous brother, Oakley Hunter.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yeah, okay I remember Oakley.
>>Helen Smades: Who I knew Oakley because I was Oakley's secretary.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Congressman?
>>Helen Smades: Congressman Oakley Hunter and later President of Fannie Mae.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Fannie Mae.
>>Helen Smades: So, that was my entree to Stuart was having worked for Oakley.
And so I was reading the classified sections of the newspaper and getting all
the information for Stuart about houses. I found it so fascinating that after
three years of staying home and doing all of these jobs at home, Harold Smades
said, you can go back to work, I'll let you go back to work. And I thought if I
had more children it would help, I could never seem to have anymore babies, so.
I, in that time in 1953 when I started in the real estate business they only
gave the real estate exam once a month in Fresno. And you had to be sponsored by
a broker. So Stuart said he would sponsor me, which he did. So I couldn't wait
so I drove to Sacramento. And in those years you had to take four exams to ever
be a broker. The first exam I took, passed it with flying colors because of my
legal background I'm sure and legal secretary background. And that license came
out, salesman's license and it was good for only one year, between the ninth and
twelfth month you had to take a second exam which was twice as hard or twice as
long. And I passed that and then I had a permanent salesman's license. Then
after working two full years for Stuart he could say I'd had so many
transactions and sponsor me to be eligible for the broker's license. Then I did
that. Passed the first one which was only, you couldn't open your own office
because it was only good for one year and you couldn't be assured you, you know,
get the permanent one. So I passed the second one and then I was a full-fledged
broker. So by that time, that was 1956, and by then I had another daughter and
by 1957 I'd had my third daughter and that's when I decided to open up my own
office. Which I opened up in my home and I could hire, I hired my sister and
some of my then girlfriends. And I had to open a branch office in each one of
their homes so that they could work for me. So after a year in my home my
wonderful dad said to me, honey, I think you need an office. I said, I don't
have time to look for an office. He said, oh, Dot and I will do it. So he went
down, rented an office for me on Blackstone and for $125 dollars a month, 1957,
and I was on Blackstone for 17 years and then moved to my office on Shaw Avenue.
But it just mushroomed, Pete. It was, I loved it, I mean to this day it's been
46 years been selling real estate. And people say, what do you like about it?
And each day is new and different and new faces, new stories behind those faces.
And it's a happy business. A lot of businesses aren't happy I don't think.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: For future generations, to truly appreciate that your
accomplishments, the fact that when you were developing your business and came
here many women were involved in teaching, schoolmarms or nursing.
>>Helen Smades: Uh-huh.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: It was very unusual for them to go into the, you were
really a harbinger of change, an early pioneer for women professionalism in this
town. How were you received by some of the good old boys?
>>Helen Smades: There were only 11 women in the real estate business when I
started. And I immediately was told by a wonderful man, Jimmy Strachan, a well
known realtor at that time. He said, you need to join the multiple listing, you
need to join the realty board, you need to become active there in order to gain
the respect of the men realtors. And so I did that. The interesting thing is, is
that, we had to belong to a women's division, we couldn't go to their meetings.
We met in someone's living room, one of the lady's living rooms, we rotated our
living rooms and but we were able to decorate for the breakfast and for the barn
dance we had and a few things like that. And we could go to the multiple
breakfasts and ultimately we got integrated.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Separate but not equal in the vote visually.
>>Helen Smades: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Because this is important that people know you had to sort
of break the barriers as you got in.
>>Helen Smades: Well a couple of, well one man in particular, bless his heart he
passed away at an early age, but he said to me more than once, this is a man's
business, Helen. You should be home taking care of your children. And I learned
at Sacred Heart Academy you just turn the other cheek. I never said a word. But
it just made me work all the harder and try to be just all the better.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well you showed that clearly with perseverance and charm
that has always been one of your characteristics. As we look at the Leon S.
Peters Award, clearly it stands for excellence in business. But a big component
is community service. And Helen Smades’ name is associated with community
service and community giving as well as philanthropy. How did you get involved
with community service and what motivated you to continue on with community
service?
>>Helen Smades: I think I learned that at home from my mother and father in
Klamath Falls, Oregon. Actually born in Portland but only lived there for two
years so, all my schooling and really growing up was in Klamath Falls. But my
dad belong to the Knights of Columbus and he was the Grand Knight, belonged to
the Elks and he was the, whatever the Elks President is and Chamber of Commerce.
And my mother was in the Altar Society and we just, I just learned growing up
with my sister that we, I earned the vestments for the church and the Altar
clause and I could see my parents just giving all the time. And really looking
back, when I left home in 1945 to come to Fresno, my dad had been with Great
Northern Railroad for 25 years and was making $200 dollars. So we didn't have
money but they gave a lot of their time to help others. And I just, I just
started that. My first volunteer job in, was 1950, had a neighbor Anne McMillan
who said Helen, will you be a block worker for the Cancer Society? And I said,
oh sure, teach me how to do it, I didn't know how to do that. And well, then by
1961 I guess it was, I was the Fresno County Cancer President, it just worked up
from, I did a good job at that one block, then they gave me maybe a four-block
area and a Captain and just, I mean I liked doing that and felt it was so
worthwhile. And once you're on one organization and if the board members there
think you're doing a good job, your name sort of goes around. So I got invited
to others and it just worked from there.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You, part of your culture then as far as your upbringing,
that Catholic culture of ->>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: it's better to give than to receive.
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And so you were brought up in that area.
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you began to take these various leadership roles, and
then you became President of the Chamber of Commerce. As my memory serves me
correctly, you were the first woman ->>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: President as well. Many firsts for Helen Smades. What was
it like being the first President, woman President of the Fresno Chamber of
Commerce?
>>Helen Smades: Well, it was really very exciting because 1985 was the year that
I was President, it was also Fresno’s Centennial year.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: So, I tell you, it was just, in fact my friends kept saying, why
are you calling so many press conferences. We see you on TV, in the paper. I
said, I'm not doing it. So it gave me a lot of visibility which was the entree
to my being invited to be on the California Chamber Board that same year. And
when I went on that--to my first meeting, I was quite shocked it was an 80person board, there were 79 men and Helen. I have always felt that I was the
token that they needed and somebody said, we need a woman. And somebody in
Fresno said, I think it was Lew Eaton who ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: First recipient of the ->>Helen Smades: of the Leon S. Peters Award and the man who really spearheaded
the thought of having the Leon S. Peters Award. And Lew Eaton was on the
California Chamber Board at that time. So that's how I got on that board. That
first year after that, I got invited to be on the Blue Shield of California
Board which I'm still on.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: And it's just ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Cream does rise to the top, people eventually sees ->>Helen Smades: Well I don't know about that but it was, been nice for me.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Let's talk about Leon S. Peters. I know you worked with
him but you also, he considered you a good friend and you considered him a good
friend. Let's talk about Leon.
>>Helen Smades: Leon and, and I always say Leon and Alice. I considered Leon and
Alice as a team, a perfect team. And it was hard to just say Lee Peters; it was
almost always easier to say Lee and Alice because she was there constantly with
him. Very quiet often and but she's a powerful woman. But they were personal
friends. Alice is still a personal friend, right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Sure.
>>Helen Smades: But, they came to parties at my house and dinner parties and I
to their home. And I marvel at that man with, how much he did with so little at
that time. And the fact that the Armenian people were persecuted in Fresno. One
of the saddest days of my life was about 1946 and, or '47 and my sister said,
oh, she and Leo were married by then. And we had just bought a house on Van Ness
Blvd. on the corner of Princeton and Van Ness, a cute little red tile roof home,
it was wonderful, we got so excited. Two weeks later, she was crying and said,
we got the deed restrictions and Armenians cannot live in that area. And they
bought a house out on East Grant where the Armenians were, where it was alright
for them to live. And I grew up, my maiden name was Lesmeister, I knew I was
German because my grandparents spoke German and our doctor was Doctor Dietchy
[assumed spelling] and I had to sing Ach lieber Augustin for him. And he came to
our house to see him. And nobody liked him during the war. I mean, my dad felt
so sorry for him. But my best friend was Anita Carninni [assumed spelling], I
found later she was Italian. We never talked about nationalities in Klamath
Falls.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: And it was just probably Protestants and Catholics maybe but,
but not, and I felt so sorry for the Armenian people. But thinking back how well
he did and never mentioning what he had to go through on that persecution like
the Armenian people did.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Through hard work and education, the Armenian people
become the most respected ethnic groups in Fresno today.
>>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As we all [inaudible].
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely, wonderful people. And I say, you know, they just
took me in and I love them all just like I was part of the Armenian family
group. But Leon Peters could stand up and convince a group of people in a very
quiet calm manner in words that would be chosen by an attorney really of why
something should be done. And people just said, all right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What did it mean to you having known Lew Eaton, Leon
Peters, these pillars of the community which you now are and have been, what did
it mean to you to get to be the recipient of that award?
>>Helen Smades: It was so exciting, Pete. It just, it was certainly something
that I would never dream that would have happened to a little girl from Klamath
Falls. That it truly was an honor, it's still today, it's a big honor. I have it
in a prominent place in my house. I'm just very proud of it. And I've, you know,
I still don't know how or why I got it but it's still a great, wonderful feeling
and I'm so appreciative.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, everybody recognizes you’re so deserving of it and
clearly you personify all that the award stands for. What would you recommend to
young people starting out today? So many of them want to start off as the
president of the firm but you've gone through from legal secretary, a young gal
from Klamath Falls at 17 and you've risen to where you are. What advice would
you give them [inaudible]?
>>Helen Smades: I would say become involved whether it's a girl scout leader or
if you're not there yet, helping out with soccer teams or baseball teams or
something like that. Just trying to help out. I know here in Fresno there's lots
of opportunities for the young people to be candy stripers at Saint Agnes
Hospital or lots of other out at Valley Children's Hospital. Just become a
volunteer and try to help someone that is not as fortunate as you and
volunteering you'll find that what you're giving comes back around much more
than you're giving. And the old expression, what goes around comes around, I say
it comes around two or three times. It just, it's very good. And the people you
meet and the feelings that you'll get of being a volunteer will be very
valuable.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You've seen lots of changes in Fresno. In particular as a
realtor you’ve seen the direction the city is moving and going.
>>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What do you see as the future of Fresno?
>>Helen Smades: It's probably going to be bigger then most of us want it to be.
But I think Fresno is going to continue to grow. I think back when I came that
Shaw Avenue was two lanes and Fresno Air Terminal was a Quonset hut from Hammer
Field. And I see we're strategically positioned being the geographical center of
the state and within two hours of three national parks, two ski resorts two
hours away. When I tell my traveling friends how easy and wonderful it is in our
lakes for our water sports here, we're going to continue to attract a lot of
people. I would hope that somebody that Port of Fresno, that designation that we
have, could perhaps mean from the far east this would become a big distribution
center here and use our airport and our port authority to go through customs and
distribute from here. Because we, with the rail service and the freeway system
and, do you think that would work?
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yes. What about the talk of the baseball diamond and the
lake and all that, that's ->>Helen Smades: Oh, I think that's exciting.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yeah.
>>Helen Smades: I think that's exciting. I love baseball. My dad was a volunteer
scout for the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels and he ended up with
two daughters. So, I used to know how to keep score, baseball score and official
ones. And went to a lot of games and probably the only disappointment my sister
and I ever gave my parents, we didn't marry a baseball player, neither one of
us.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well talking about daughters and I have to ask this ->>Helen Smades: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: because I've been privileged to know your daughters.
>>Helen Smades: Yeah, uh-huh.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: We've talked about your success as a businesswoman, we've
talked about your success as a community involvement, in community involvement
as a leader but I know of you're extremely proud of your daughters and
grandchildren.
>>Helen Smades: Right. I have four daughters.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And I know you have four daughters.
>>Helen Smades: Four daughters and eight grandchildren.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Eight grandchildren.
>>Helen Smades: Uh-huh. And I have to say that I had two wonderful husbands.
Lost Harold Smades when he was only 35, the father of my four daughters but then
I was very fortunate to meet and marry Bob Kline, Fresno's first City Manager
and he was very supportive of my role as the Chamber President and everything I
did. He was right there, just saying go for it, go for it. So, without the
support of a spouse or your family, you certainly can't do volunteer work.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: One last question. You've had lots of successes in your
career, you've been blessed by a wonderful family and many, many good friends.
But everyone, whether you're a business person or an athlete have
disappointments and setbacks. What sustained you when you had those
disappointments or setbacks? Your faith?
>>Helen Smades: Yeah, I think my very strong faith. I've, I believe that God
doesn't give you more than you can handle and I somehow developed the philosophy
of thinking I'm talking to God and say, these are the things I want to put on
your shoulders and would you please give them back to me just one at a time. And
I've always felt, huh, you know kind of relieved and then it seems like it works
out. It works out. And you still have to say, if you're blessed with good health
like, God blessed me with good health, and lots of energy, more energy than most
people want me to have. Those are big blessings.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: I've asked you a lot of questions. Is there anything that
for posterity and that you'd like to cover that I didn't mention?
>>Helen Smades: I would just say the people in Fresno have been very good to me.
Very good to me. And I'm glad my dad taught me this one good lesson, after I,
you know, I had this good law firm job as legal secretary and I'd been here
maybe about a month and a half and it bothered me, I was going to church at St.
John's Cathedral, I didn't see one face I knew, nobody ever said hello, you
know. And here in Klamath Falls, my family knew everybody. So I called home and
said, Daddy, you said you had three different secretarial jobs that you could
get me in Klamath Falls and I said, whatever one you can get, would you find out
if they're still available. I don't like Fresno, I'm coming back. And he said,
why and so I gave him those reasons. And he said, I'll tell you one thing honey,
your mom and I love you very much and if you ever have to come home for health
reasons or something like that, you're welcome. But you did make your bed and
now you sleep in it. And it was the best lesson I've ever, and I've used that on
my daughters. I guess that's an old expression, you made the decision, now you
stand with it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Good words of advice. Well Helen, you said that the people
of Fresno have been very kind to you. I think that's reciprocal. You've been
very, very kind to the people of Fresno. And your legacy will live on through
all the accomplishments that you and your colleagues have done together. And
truly you personify all that is right about the Leon Peters Award. So on behalf
of the Chamber and the Valley Business Conference Committee, we congratulate you
for your years of success. And it's certainly an honor to have you on this
video.
>>Helen Smades: Thank you Pete, dear friend.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You're a friend as well.
>>Helen Smades: Friend of my, you were the superintendent when my Patty got out
of USC and brand new schoolteacher at Dry Creek Elementary. And she loved it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And we loved her. Thank you.
>>Helen Smades: Thank you. Goodbye.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Bye, bye.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: 1992, Leon S. Peters recipient, Helen Smades, the first
and only woman ever, ever to get this most prestigious award by the Fresno
Chamber of Commerce. Helen, you came to Fresno when you were 17. Tell us about
growing up in Fresno, or when you were 17?
>>Helen Smades: Well it was rather scary because I arrived on May 10, 1945, from
Klamath Falls, Oregon, on the train. The only person I knew here was my sister
Dorothy who was then going to Fresno State and dating Leo Garabedian who was the
football star there.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yes.
>>Helen Smades: So we got off the train and Leo gave Dot a big hug and then he
said, you're obviously Helen. And he gave me a big hug and said welcome to
Fresno. And his family took me in, and Leo just like, I love the Armenian
people, they just, I was Dot's sister, I was just part of the family. They
weren't married, they were dating and Dot and I lived on Kerckhoff with the
Pieper family. There was the Pieper Dancing School and they had six children,
four of them were in the service, World War II was still on. You couldn't get an
apartment; you couldn't get a room to rent. But Dorothy had befriended Ada Mae
Pieper and they had a room attached to the garage and Dorothy was living there
and nice Catholic family, they took in Dorothy's sister and so we both lived
there. And at night they'd leave the door open, we could go in and use the
bathroom in the house. And then on August 15th, VJ Day, I remember it perfectly,
we got an apartment at the Ward Apartments, and that's on Divisadero just off of
Van Ness, we were so excited. It was a basically a one room apartment, a big
living room with a Murphy bed that would come down and it had one window
outside, no cooling and it had a tiny kitchen and tiny bathroom and a long hall
with our entrance to our apartment off that long hall. And we'd leave that door
open at night because I was sleeping in this tiny Murphy bed, it was supposed to
be a double bed, with my sister and it was so hot in Fresno, I couldn't believe
it. And the only cooling we got was from the one window and the open hall door.
So anyway, it was wonderful, it was exciting. I immediately got a job as a legal
secretary.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So that was your professional beginning as a legal
secretary.
>>Helen Smades: That was my professional beginning because I'd had 12 years of
school at Sacred Heart Academy in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I was very good at
typing, shorthand and bookkeeping and they hired me. A hundred dollars a month,
I walked to work and I worked in the Helm Building at first and then changed to
the Brix Building. I mean all the best buildings were downtown on Fulton Street.
So ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, from a 17-year-old girl from Klamath Falls, to one
of the most successful businesswoman in the history of Fresno, having your own
real estate, how did you get into the real estate business?
>>Helen Smades: Well I was a legal secretary for five years. And four of those
years I was married to Harold Smades and then our first daughter was born. So I
decided that I would stay home but Harold's family store was in Madera and he
was gone from 7:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night, six days a week so I
started doing jobs at home because I was bored, I had always worked. Had my
first job when I was 12 in Klamath Falls, so. Just had always worked, always
like working. And so I was phoning for a realtor named Stuart Hunter, you may
remember him, Pete, but not a lot of people remember him.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: I don't think so, I have no idea.
>>Helen Smades: He had a famous brother, Oakley Hunter.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yeah, okay I remember Oakley.
>>Helen Smades: Who I knew Oakley because I was Oakley's secretary.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Congressman?
>>Helen Smades: Congressman Oakley Hunter and later President of Fannie Mae.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Fannie Mae.
>>Helen Smades: So, that was my entree to Stuart was having worked for Oakley.
And so I was reading the classified sections of the newspaper and getting all
the information for Stuart about houses. I found it so fascinating that after
three years of staying home and doing all of these jobs at home, Harold Smades
said, you can go back to work, I'll let you go back to work. And I thought if I
had more children it would help, I could never seem to have anymore babies, so.
I, in that time in 1953 when I started in the real estate business they only
gave the real estate exam once a month in Fresno. And you had to be sponsored by
a broker. So Stuart said he would sponsor me, which he did. So I couldn't wait
so I drove to Sacramento. And in those years you had to take four exams to ever
be a broker. The first exam I took, passed it with flying colors because of my
legal background I'm sure and legal secretary background. And that license came
out, salesman's license and it was good for only one year, between the ninth and
twelfth month you had to take a second exam which was twice as hard or twice as
long. And I passed that and then I had a permanent salesman's license. Then
after working two full years for Stuart he could say I'd had so many
transactions and sponsor me to be eligible for the broker's license. Then I did
that. Passed the first one which was only, you couldn't open your own office
because it was only good for one year and you couldn't be assured you, you know,
get the permanent one. So I passed the second one and then I was a full-fledged
broker. So by that time, that was 1956, and by then I had another daughter and
by 1957 I'd had my third daughter and that's when I decided to open up my own
office. Which I opened up in my home and I could hire, I hired my sister and
some of my then girlfriends. And I had to open a branch office in each one of
their homes so that they could work for me. So after a year in my home my
wonderful dad said to me, honey, I think you need an office. I said, I don't
have time to look for an office. He said, oh, Dot and I will do it. So he went
down, rented an office for me on Blackstone and for $125 dollars a month, 1957,
and I was on Blackstone for 17 years and then moved to my office on Shaw Avenue.
But it just mushroomed, Pete. It was, I loved it, I mean to this day it's been
46 years been selling real estate. And people say, what do you like about it?
And each day is new and different and new faces, new stories behind those faces.
And it's a happy business. A lot of businesses aren't happy I don't think.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: For future generations, to truly appreciate that your
accomplishments, the fact that when you were developing your business and came
here many women were involved in teaching, schoolmarms or nursing.
>>Helen Smades: Uh-huh.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: It was very unusual for them to go into the, you were
really a harbinger of change, an early pioneer for women professionalism in this
town. How were you received by some of the good old boys?
>>Helen Smades: There were only 11 women in the real estate business when I
started. And I immediately was told by a wonderful man, Jimmy Strachan, a well
known realtor at that time. He said, you need to join the multiple listing, you
need to join the realty board, you need to become active there in order to gain
the respect of the men realtors. And so I did that. The interesting thing is, is
that, we had to belong to a women's division, we couldn't go to their meetings.
We met in someone's living room, one of the lady's living rooms, we rotated our
living rooms and but we were able to decorate for the breakfast and for the barn
dance we had and a few things like that. And we could go to the multiple
breakfasts and ultimately we got integrated.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Separate but not equal in the vote visually.
>>Helen Smades: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Because this is important that people know you had to sort
of break the barriers as you got in.
>>Helen Smades: Well a couple of, well one man in particular, bless his heart he
passed away at an early age, but he said to me more than once, this is a man's
business, Helen. You should be home taking care of your children. And I learned
at Sacred Heart Academy you just turn the other cheek. I never said a word. But
it just made me work all the harder and try to be just all the better.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well you showed that clearly with perseverance and charm
that has always been one of your characteristics. As we look at the Leon S.
Peters Award, clearly it stands for excellence in business. But a big component
is community service. And Helen Smades’ name is associated with community
service and community giving as well as philanthropy. How did you get involved
with community service and what motivated you to continue on with community
service?
>>Helen Smades: I think I learned that at home from my mother and father in
Klamath Falls, Oregon. Actually born in Portland but only lived there for two
years so, all my schooling and really growing up was in Klamath Falls. But my
dad belong to the Knights of Columbus and he was the Grand Knight, belonged to
the Elks and he was the, whatever the Elks President is and Chamber of Commerce.
And my mother was in the Altar Society and we just, I just learned growing up
with my sister that we, I earned the vestments for the church and the Altar
clause and I could see my parents just giving all the time. And really looking
back, when I left home in 1945 to come to Fresno, my dad had been with Great
Northern Railroad for 25 years and was making $200 dollars. So we didn't have
money but they gave a lot of their time to help others. And I just, I just
started that. My first volunteer job in, was 1950, had a neighbor Anne McMillan
who said Helen, will you be a block worker for the Cancer Society? And I said,
oh sure, teach me how to do it, I didn't know how to do that. And well, then by
1961 I guess it was, I was the Fresno County Cancer President, it just worked up
from, I did a good job at that one block, then they gave me maybe a four-block
area and a Captain and just, I mean I liked doing that and felt it was so
worthwhile. And once you're on one organization and if the board members there
think you're doing a good job, your name sort of goes around. So I got invited
to others and it just worked from there.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You, part of your culture then as far as your upbringing,
that Catholic culture of ->>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: it's better to give than to receive.
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And so you were brought up in that area.
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you began to take these various leadership roles, and
then you became President of the Chamber of Commerce. As my memory serves me
correctly, you were the first woman ->>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: President as well. Many firsts for Helen Smades. What was
it like being the first President, woman President of the Fresno Chamber of
Commerce?
>>Helen Smades: Well, it was really very exciting because 1985 was the year that
I was President, it was also Fresno’s Centennial year.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: So, I tell you, it was just, in fact my friends kept saying, why
are you calling so many press conferences. We see you on TV, in the paper. I
said, I'm not doing it. So it gave me a lot of visibility which was the entree
to my being invited to be on the California Chamber Board that same year. And
when I went on that--to my first meeting, I was quite shocked it was an 80person board, there were 79 men and Helen. I have always felt that I was the
token that they needed and somebody said, we need a woman. And somebody in
Fresno said, I think it was Lew Eaton who ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: First recipient of the ->>Helen Smades: of the Leon S. Peters Award and the man who really spearheaded
the thought of having the Leon S. Peters Award. And Lew Eaton was on the
California Chamber Board at that time. So that's how I got on that board. That
first year after that, I got invited to be on the Blue Shield of California
Board which I'm still on.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: And it's just ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Cream does rise to the top, people eventually sees ->>Helen Smades: Well I don't know about that but it was, been nice for me.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Let's talk about Leon S. Peters. I know you worked with
him but you also, he considered you a good friend and you considered him a good
friend. Let's talk about Leon.
>>Helen Smades: Leon and, and I always say Leon and Alice. I considered Leon and
Alice as a team, a perfect team. And it was hard to just say Lee Peters; it was
almost always easier to say Lee and Alice because she was there constantly with
him. Very quiet often and but she's a powerful woman. But they were personal
friends. Alice is still a personal friend, right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Sure.
>>Helen Smades: But, they came to parties at my house and dinner parties and I
to their home. And I marvel at that man with, how much he did with so little at
that time. And the fact that the Armenian people were persecuted in Fresno. One
of the saddest days of my life was about 1946 and, or '47 and my sister said,
oh, she and Leo were married by then. And we had just bought a house on Van Ness
Blvd. on the corner of Princeton and Van Ness, a cute little red tile roof home,
it was wonderful, we got so excited. Two weeks later, she was crying and said,
we got the deed restrictions and Armenians cannot live in that area. And they
bought a house out on East Grant where the Armenians were, where it was alright
for them to live. And I grew up, my maiden name was Lesmeister, I knew I was
German because my grandparents spoke German and our doctor was Doctor Dietchy
[assumed spelling] and I had to sing Ach lieber Augustin for him. And he came to
our house to see him. And nobody liked him during the war. I mean, my dad felt
so sorry for him. But my best friend was Anita Carninni [assumed spelling], I
found later she was Italian. We never talked about nationalities in Klamath
Falls.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: And it was just probably Protestants and Catholics maybe but,
but not, and I felt so sorry for the Armenian people. But thinking back how well
he did and never mentioning what he had to go through on that persecution like
the Armenian people did.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Through hard work and education, the Armenian people
become the most respected ethnic groups in Fresno today.
>>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As we all [inaudible].
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely, wonderful people. And I say, you know, they just
took me in and I love them all just like I was part of the Armenian family
group. But Leon Peters could stand up and convince a group of people in a very
quiet calm manner in words that would be chosen by an attorney really of why
something should be done. And people just said, all right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What did it mean to you having known Lew Eaton, Leon
Peters, these pillars of the community which you now are and have been, what did
it mean to you to get to be the recipient of that award?
>>Helen Smades: It was so exciting, Pete. It just, it was certainly something
that I would never dream that would have happened to a little girl from Klamath
Falls. That it truly was an honor, it's still today, it's a big honor. I have it
in a prominent place in my house. I'm just very proud of it. And I've, you know,
I still don't know how or why I got it but it's still a great, wonderful feeling
and I'm so appreciative.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, everybody recognizes you’re so deserving of it and
clearly you personify all that the award stands for. What would you recommend to
young people starting out today? So many of them want to start off as the
president of the firm but you've gone through from legal secretary, a young gal
from Klamath Falls at 17 and you've risen to where you are. What advice would
you give them [inaudible]?
>>Helen Smades: I would say become involved whether it's a girl scout leader or
if you're not there yet, helping out with soccer teams or baseball teams or
something like that. Just trying to help out. I know here in Fresno there's lots
of opportunities for the young people to be candy stripers at Saint Agnes
Hospital or lots of other out at Valley Children's Hospital. Just become a
volunteer and try to help someone that is not as fortunate as you and
volunteering you'll find that what you're giving comes back around much more
than you're giving. And the old expression, what goes around comes around, I say
it comes around two or three times. It just, it's very good. And the people you
meet and the feelings that you'll get of being a volunteer will be very
valuable.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You've seen lots of changes in Fresno. In particular as a
realtor you’ve seen the direction the city is moving and going.
>>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What do you see as the future of Fresno?
>>Helen Smades: It's probably going to be bigger then most of us want it to be.
But I think Fresno is going to continue to grow. I think back when I came that
Shaw Avenue was two lanes and Fresno Air Terminal was a Quonset hut from Hammer
Field. And I see we're strategically positioned being the geographical center of
the state and within two hours of three national parks, two ski resorts two
hours away. When I tell my traveling friends how easy and wonderful it is in our
lakes for our water sports here, we're going to continue to attract a lot of
people. I would hope that somebody that Port of Fresno, that designation that we
have, could perhaps mean from the far east this would become a big distribution
center here and use our airport and our port authority to go through customs and
distribute from here. Because we, with the rail service and the freeway system
and, do you think that would work?
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yes. What about the talk of the baseball diamond and the
lake and all that, that's ->>Helen Smades: Oh, I think that's exciting.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yeah.
>>Helen Smades: I think that's exciting. I love baseball. My dad was a volunteer
scout for the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels and he ended up with
two daughters. So, I used to know how to keep score, baseball score and official
ones. And went to a lot of games and probably the only disappointment my sister
and I ever gave my parents, we didn't marry a baseball player, neither one of
us.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well talking about daughters and I have to ask this ->>Helen Smades: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: because I've been privileged to know your daughters.
>>Helen Smades: Yeah, uh-huh.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: We've talked about your success as a businesswoman, we've
talked about your success as a community involvement, in community involvement
as a leader but I know of you're extremely proud of your daughters and
grandchildren.
>>Helen Smades: Right. I have four daughters.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And I know you have four daughters.
>>Helen Smades: Four daughters and eight grandchildren.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Eight grandchildren.
>>Helen Smades: Uh-huh. And I have to say that I had two wonderful husbands.
Lost Harold Smades when he was only 35, the father of my four daughters but then
I was very fortunate to meet and marry Bob Kline, Fresno's first City Manager
and he was very supportive of my role as the Chamber President and everything I
did. He was right there, just saying go for it, go for it. So, without the
support of a spouse or your family, you certainly can't do volunteer work.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: One last question. You've had lots of successes in your
career, you've been blessed by a wonderful family and many, many good friends.
But everyone, whether you're a business person or an athlete have
disappointments and setbacks. What sustained you when you had those
disappointments or setbacks? Your faith?
>>Helen Smades: Yeah, I think my very strong faith. I've, I believe that God
doesn't give you more than you can handle and I somehow developed the philosophy
of thinking I'm talking to God and say, these are the things I want to put on
your shoulders and would you please give them back to me just one at a time. And
I've always felt, huh, you know kind of relieved and then it seems like it works
out. It works out. And you still have to say, if you're blessed with good health
like, God blessed me with good health, and lots of energy, more energy than most
people want me to have. Those are big blessings.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: I've asked you a lot of questions. Is there anything that
for posterity and that you'd like to cover that I didn't mention?
>>Helen Smades: I would just say the people in Fresno have been very good to me.
Very good to me. And I'm glad my dad taught me this one good lesson, after I,
you know, I had this good law firm job as legal secretary and I'd been here
maybe about a month and a half and it bothered me, I was going to church at St.
John's Cathedral, I didn't see one face I knew, nobody ever said hello, you
know. And here in Klamath Falls, my family knew everybody. So I called home and
said, Daddy, you said you had three different secretarial jobs that you could
get me in Klamath Falls and I said, whatever one you can get, would you find out
if they're still available. I don't like Fresno, I'm coming back. And he said,
why and so I gave him those reasons. And he said, I'll tell you one thing honey,
your mom and I love you very much and if you ever have to come home for health
reasons or something like that, you're welcome. But you did make your bed and
now you sleep in it. And it was the best lesson I've ever, and I've used that on
my daughters. I guess that's an old expression, you made the decision, now you
stand with it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Good words of advice. Well Helen, you said that the people
of Fresno have been very kind to you. I think that's reciprocal. You've been
very, very kind to the people of Fresno. And your legacy will live on through
all the accomplishments that you and your colleagues have done together. And
truly you personify all that is right about the Leon Peters Award. So on behalf
of the Chamber and the Valley Business Conference Committee, we congratulate you
for your years of success. And it's certainly an honor to have you on this
video.
>>Helen Smades: Thank you Pete, dear friend.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You're a friend as well.
>>Helen Smades: Friend of my, you were the superintendent when my Patty got out
of USC and brand new schoolteacher at Dry Creek Elementary. And she loved it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And we loved her. Thank you.
>>Helen Smades: Thank you. Goodbye.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Bye, bye.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====
and only woman ever, ever to get this most prestigious award by the Fresno
Chamber of Commerce. Helen, you came to Fresno when you were 17. Tell us about
growing up in Fresno, or when you were 17?
>>Helen Smades: Well it was rather scary because I arrived on May 10, 1945, from
Klamath Falls, Oregon, on the train. The only person I knew here was my sister
Dorothy who was then going to Fresno State and dating Leo Garabedian who was the
football star there.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yes.
>>Helen Smades: So we got off the train and Leo gave Dot a big hug and then he
said, you're obviously Helen. And he gave me a big hug and said welcome to
Fresno. And his family took me in, and Leo just like, I love the Armenian
people, they just, I was Dot's sister, I was just part of the family. They
weren't married, they were dating and Dot and I lived on Kerckhoff with the
Pieper family. There was the Pieper Dancing School and they had six children,
four of them were in the service, World War II was still on. You couldn't get an
apartment; you couldn't get a room to rent. But Dorothy had befriended Ada Mae
Pieper and they had a room attached to the garage and Dorothy was living there
and nice Catholic family, they took in Dorothy's sister and so we both lived
there. And at night they'd leave the door open, we could go in and use the
bathroom in the house. And then on August 15th, VJ Day, I remember it perfectly,
we got an apartment at the Ward Apartments, and that's on Divisadero just off of
Van Ness, we were so excited. It was a basically a one room apartment, a big
living room with a Murphy bed that would come down and it had one window
outside, no cooling and it had a tiny kitchen and tiny bathroom and a long hall
with our entrance to our apartment off that long hall. And we'd leave that door
open at night because I was sleeping in this tiny Murphy bed, it was supposed to
be a double bed, with my sister and it was so hot in Fresno, I couldn't believe
it. And the only cooling we got was from the one window and the open hall door.
So anyway, it was wonderful, it was exciting. I immediately got a job as a legal
secretary.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So that was your professional beginning as a legal
secretary.
>>Helen Smades: That was my professional beginning because I'd had 12 years of
school at Sacred Heart Academy in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I was very good at
typing, shorthand and bookkeeping and they hired me. A hundred dollars a month,
I walked to work and I worked in the Helm Building at first and then changed to
the Brix Building. I mean all the best buildings were downtown on Fulton Street.
So ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, from a 17-year-old girl from Klamath Falls, to one
of the most successful businesswoman in the history of Fresno, having your own
real estate, how did you get into the real estate business?
>>Helen Smades: Well I was a legal secretary for five years. And four of those
years I was married to Harold Smades and then our first daughter was born. So I
decided that I would stay home but Harold's family store was in Madera and he
was gone from 7:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night, six days a week so I
started doing jobs at home because I was bored, I had always worked. Had my
first job when I was 12 in Klamath Falls, so. Just had always worked, always
like working. And so I was phoning for a realtor named Stuart Hunter, you may
remember him, Pete, but not a lot of people remember him.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: I don't think so, I have no idea.
>>Helen Smades: He had a famous brother, Oakley Hunter.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yeah, okay I remember Oakley.
>>Helen Smades: Who I knew Oakley because I was Oakley's secretary.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Congressman?
>>Helen Smades: Congressman Oakley Hunter and later President of Fannie Mae.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Fannie Mae.
>>Helen Smades: So, that was my entree to Stuart was having worked for Oakley.
And so I was reading the classified sections of the newspaper and getting all
the information for Stuart about houses. I found it so fascinating that after
three years of staying home and doing all of these jobs at home, Harold Smades
said, you can go back to work, I'll let you go back to work. And I thought if I
had more children it would help, I could never seem to have anymore babies, so.
I, in that time in 1953 when I started in the real estate business they only
gave the real estate exam once a month in Fresno. And you had to be sponsored by
a broker. So Stuart said he would sponsor me, which he did. So I couldn't wait
so I drove to Sacramento. And in those years you had to take four exams to ever
be a broker. The first exam I took, passed it with flying colors because of my
legal background I'm sure and legal secretary background. And that license came
out, salesman's license and it was good for only one year, between the ninth and
twelfth month you had to take a second exam which was twice as hard or twice as
long. And I passed that and then I had a permanent salesman's license. Then
after working two full years for Stuart he could say I'd had so many
transactions and sponsor me to be eligible for the broker's license. Then I did
that. Passed the first one which was only, you couldn't open your own office
because it was only good for one year and you couldn't be assured you, you know,
get the permanent one. So I passed the second one and then I was a full-fledged
broker. So by that time, that was 1956, and by then I had another daughter and
by 1957 I'd had my third daughter and that's when I decided to open up my own
office. Which I opened up in my home and I could hire, I hired my sister and
some of my then girlfriends. And I had to open a branch office in each one of
their homes so that they could work for me. So after a year in my home my
wonderful dad said to me, honey, I think you need an office. I said, I don't
have time to look for an office. He said, oh, Dot and I will do it. So he went
down, rented an office for me on Blackstone and for $125 dollars a month, 1957,
and I was on Blackstone for 17 years and then moved to my office on Shaw Avenue.
But it just mushroomed, Pete. It was, I loved it, I mean to this day it's been
46 years been selling real estate. And people say, what do you like about it?
And each day is new and different and new faces, new stories behind those faces.
And it's a happy business. A lot of businesses aren't happy I don't think.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: For future generations, to truly appreciate that your
accomplishments, the fact that when you were developing your business and came
here many women were involved in teaching, schoolmarms or nursing.
>>Helen Smades: Uh-huh.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: It was very unusual for them to go into the, you were
really a harbinger of change, an early pioneer for women professionalism in this
town. How were you received by some of the good old boys?
>>Helen Smades: There were only 11 women in the real estate business when I
started. And I immediately was told by a wonderful man, Jimmy Strachan, a well
known realtor at that time. He said, you need to join the multiple listing, you
need to join the realty board, you need to become active there in order to gain
the respect of the men realtors. And so I did that. The interesting thing is, is
that, we had to belong to a women's division, we couldn't go to their meetings.
We met in someone's living room, one of the lady's living rooms, we rotated our
living rooms and but we were able to decorate for the breakfast and for the barn
dance we had and a few things like that. And we could go to the multiple
breakfasts and ultimately we got integrated.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Separate but not equal in the vote visually.
>>Helen Smades: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Because this is important that people know you had to sort
of break the barriers as you got in.
>>Helen Smades: Well a couple of, well one man in particular, bless his heart he
passed away at an early age, but he said to me more than once, this is a man's
business, Helen. You should be home taking care of your children. And I learned
at Sacred Heart Academy you just turn the other cheek. I never said a word. But
it just made me work all the harder and try to be just all the better.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well you showed that clearly with perseverance and charm
that has always been one of your characteristics. As we look at the Leon S.
Peters Award, clearly it stands for excellence in business. But a big component
is community service. And Helen Smades’ name is associated with community
service and community giving as well as philanthropy. How did you get involved
with community service and what motivated you to continue on with community
service?
>>Helen Smades: I think I learned that at home from my mother and father in
Klamath Falls, Oregon. Actually born in Portland but only lived there for two
years so, all my schooling and really growing up was in Klamath Falls. But my
dad belong to the Knights of Columbus and he was the Grand Knight, belonged to
the Elks and he was the, whatever the Elks President is and Chamber of Commerce.
And my mother was in the Altar Society and we just, I just learned growing up
with my sister that we, I earned the vestments for the church and the Altar
clause and I could see my parents just giving all the time. And really looking
back, when I left home in 1945 to come to Fresno, my dad had been with Great
Northern Railroad for 25 years and was making $200 dollars. So we didn't have
money but they gave a lot of their time to help others. And I just, I just
started that. My first volunteer job in, was 1950, had a neighbor Anne McMillan
who said Helen, will you be a block worker for the Cancer Society? And I said,
oh sure, teach me how to do it, I didn't know how to do that. And well, then by
1961 I guess it was, I was the Fresno County Cancer President, it just worked up
from, I did a good job at that one block, then they gave me maybe a four-block
area and a Captain and just, I mean I liked doing that and felt it was so
worthwhile. And once you're on one organization and if the board members there
think you're doing a good job, your name sort of goes around. So I got invited
to others and it just worked from there.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You, part of your culture then as far as your upbringing,
that Catholic culture of ->>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: it's better to give than to receive.
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And so you were brought up in that area.
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you began to take these various leadership roles, and
then you became President of the Chamber of Commerce. As my memory serves me
correctly, you were the first woman ->>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: President as well. Many firsts for Helen Smades. What was
it like being the first President, woman President of the Fresno Chamber of
Commerce?
>>Helen Smades: Well, it was really very exciting because 1985 was the year that
I was President, it was also Fresno’s Centennial year.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: So, I tell you, it was just, in fact my friends kept saying, why
are you calling so many press conferences. We see you on TV, in the paper. I
said, I'm not doing it. So it gave me a lot of visibility which was the entree
to my being invited to be on the California Chamber Board that same year. And
when I went on that--to my first meeting, I was quite shocked it was an 80person board, there were 79 men and Helen. I have always felt that I was the
token that they needed and somebody said, we need a woman. And somebody in
Fresno said, I think it was Lew Eaton who ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: First recipient of the ->>Helen Smades: of the Leon S. Peters Award and the man who really spearheaded
the thought of having the Leon S. Peters Award. And Lew Eaton was on the
California Chamber Board at that time. So that's how I got on that board. That
first year after that, I got invited to be on the Blue Shield of California
Board which I'm still on.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: And it's just ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Cream does rise to the top, people eventually sees ->>Helen Smades: Well I don't know about that but it was, been nice for me.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Let's talk about Leon S. Peters. I know you worked with
him but you also, he considered you a good friend and you considered him a good
friend. Let's talk about Leon.
>>Helen Smades: Leon and, and I always say Leon and Alice. I considered Leon and
Alice as a team, a perfect team. And it was hard to just say Lee Peters; it was
almost always easier to say Lee and Alice because she was there constantly with
him. Very quiet often and but she's a powerful woman. But they were personal
friends. Alice is still a personal friend, right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Sure.
>>Helen Smades: But, they came to parties at my house and dinner parties and I
to their home. And I marvel at that man with, how much he did with so little at
that time. And the fact that the Armenian people were persecuted in Fresno. One
of the saddest days of my life was about 1946 and, or '47 and my sister said,
oh, she and Leo were married by then. And we had just bought a house on Van Ness
Blvd. on the corner of Princeton and Van Ness, a cute little red tile roof home,
it was wonderful, we got so excited. Two weeks later, she was crying and said,
we got the deed restrictions and Armenians cannot live in that area. And they
bought a house out on East Grant where the Armenians were, where it was alright
for them to live. And I grew up, my maiden name was Lesmeister, I knew I was
German because my grandparents spoke German and our doctor was Doctor Dietchy
[assumed spelling] and I had to sing Ach lieber Augustin for him. And he came to
our house to see him. And nobody liked him during the war. I mean, my dad felt
so sorry for him. But my best friend was Anita Carninni [assumed spelling], I
found later she was Italian. We never talked about nationalities in Klamath
Falls.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Right.
>>Helen Smades: And it was just probably Protestants and Catholics maybe but,
but not, and I felt so sorry for the Armenian people. But thinking back how well
he did and never mentioning what he had to go through on that persecution like
the Armenian people did.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Through hard work and education, the Armenian people
become the most respected ethnic groups in Fresno today.
>>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As we all [inaudible].
>>Helen Smades: Absolutely, wonderful people. And I say, you know, they just
took me in and I love them all just like I was part of the Armenian family
group. But Leon Peters could stand up and convince a group of people in a very
quiet calm manner in words that would be chosen by an attorney really of why
something should be done. And people just said, all right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What did it mean to you having known Lew Eaton, Leon
Peters, these pillars of the community which you now are and have been, what did
it mean to you to get to be the recipient of that award?
>>Helen Smades: It was so exciting, Pete. It just, it was certainly something
that I would never dream that would have happened to a little girl from Klamath
Falls. That it truly was an honor, it's still today, it's a big honor. I have it
in a prominent place in my house. I'm just very proud of it. And I've, you know,
I still don't know how or why I got it but it's still a great, wonderful feeling
and I'm so appreciative.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well, everybody recognizes you’re so deserving of it and
clearly you personify all that the award stands for. What would you recommend to
young people starting out today? So many of them want to start off as the
president of the firm but you've gone through from legal secretary, a young gal
from Klamath Falls at 17 and you've risen to where you are. What advice would
you give them [inaudible]?
>>Helen Smades: I would say become involved whether it's a girl scout leader or
if you're not there yet, helping out with soccer teams or baseball teams or
something like that. Just trying to help out. I know here in Fresno there's lots
of opportunities for the young people to be candy stripers at Saint Agnes
Hospital or lots of other out at Valley Children's Hospital. Just become a
volunteer and try to help someone that is not as fortunate as you and
volunteering you'll find that what you're giving comes back around much more
than you're giving. And the old expression, what goes around comes around, I say
it comes around two or three times. It just, it's very good. And the people you
meet and the feelings that you'll get of being a volunteer will be very
valuable.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You've seen lots of changes in Fresno. In particular as a
realtor you’ve seen the direction the city is moving and going.
>>Helen Smades: Right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: What do you see as the future of Fresno?
>>Helen Smades: It's probably going to be bigger then most of us want it to be.
But I think Fresno is going to continue to grow. I think back when I came that
Shaw Avenue was two lanes and Fresno Air Terminal was a Quonset hut from Hammer
Field. And I see we're strategically positioned being the geographical center of
the state and within two hours of three national parks, two ski resorts two
hours away. When I tell my traveling friends how easy and wonderful it is in our
lakes for our water sports here, we're going to continue to attract a lot of
people. I would hope that somebody that Port of Fresno, that designation that we
have, could perhaps mean from the far east this would become a big distribution
center here and use our airport and our port authority to go through customs and
distribute from here. Because we, with the rail service and the freeway system
and, do you think that would work?
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yes. What about the talk of the baseball diamond and the
lake and all that, that's ->>Helen Smades: Oh, I think that's exciting.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Yeah.
>>Helen Smades: I think that's exciting. I love baseball. My dad was a volunteer
scout for the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels and he ended up with
two daughters. So, I used to know how to keep score, baseball score and official
ones. And went to a lot of games and probably the only disappointment my sister
and I ever gave my parents, we didn't marry a baseball player, neither one of
us.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well talking about daughters and I have to ask this ->>Helen Smades: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: because I've been privileged to know your daughters.
>>Helen Smades: Yeah, uh-huh.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: We've talked about your success as a businesswoman, we've
talked about your success as a community involvement, in community involvement
as a leader but I know of you're extremely proud of your daughters and
grandchildren.
>>Helen Smades: Right. I have four daughters.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And I know you have four daughters.
>>Helen Smades: Four daughters and eight grandchildren.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Eight grandchildren.
>>Helen Smades: Uh-huh. And I have to say that I had two wonderful husbands.
Lost Harold Smades when he was only 35, the father of my four daughters but then
I was very fortunate to meet and marry Bob Kline, Fresno's first City Manager
and he was very supportive of my role as the Chamber President and everything I
did. He was right there, just saying go for it, go for it. So, without the
support of a spouse or your family, you certainly can't do volunteer work.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: One last question. You've had lots of successes in your
career, you've been blessed by a wonderful family and many, many good friends.
But everyone, whether you're a business person or an athlete have
disappointments and setbacks. What sustained you when you had those
disappointments or setbacks? Your faith?
>>Helen Smades: Yeah, I think my very strong faith. I've, I believe that God
doesn't give you more than you can handle and I somehow developed the philosophy
of thinking I'm talking to God and say, these are the things I want to put on
your shoulders and would you please give them back to me just one at a time. And
I've always felt, huh, you know kind of relieved and then it seems like it works
out. It works out. And you still have to say, if you're blessed with good health
like, God blessed me with good health, and lots of energy, more energy than most
people want me to have. Those are big blessings.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: I've asked you a lot of questions. Is there anything that
for posterity and that you'd like to cover that I didn't mention?
>>Helen Smades: I would just say the people in Fresno have been very good to me.
Very good to me. And I'm glad my dad taught me this one good lesson, after I,
you know, I had this good law firm job as legal secretary and I'd been here
maybe about a month and a half and it bothered me, I was going to church at St.
John's Cathedral, I didn't see one face I knew, nobody ever said hello, you
know. And here in Klamath Falls, my family knew everybody. So I called home and
said, Daddy, you said you had three different secretarial jobs that you could
get me in Klamath Falls and I said, whatever one you can get, would you find out
if they're still available. I don't like Fresno, I'm coming back. And he said,
why and so I gave him those reasons. And he said, I'll tell you one thing honey,
your mom and I love you very much and if you ever have to come home for health
reasons or something like that, you're welcome. But you did make your bed and
now you sleep in it. And it was the best lesson I've ever, and I've used that on
my daughters. I guess that's an old expression, you made the decision, now you
stand with it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Good words of advice. Well Helen, you said that the people
of Fresno have been very kind to you. I think that's reciprocal. You've been
very, very kind to the people of Fresno. And your legacy will live on through
all the accomplishments that you and your colleagues have done together. And
truly you personify all that is right about the Leon Peters Award. So on behalf
of the Chamber and the Valley Business Conference Committee, we congratulate you
for your years of success. And it's certainly an honor to have you on this
video.
>>Helen Smades: Thank you Pete, dear friend.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You're a friend as well.
>>Helen Smades: Friend of my, you were the superintendent when my Patty got out
of USC and brand new schoolteacher at Dry Creek Elementary. And she loved it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And we loved her. Thank you.
>>Helen Smades: Thank you. Goodbye.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Bye, bye.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====