VIRGINIA CARTER SMITH HAD her work cut out for her in 1975. At that point, CASE had just emerged from the merger of the American Alumni Council and the American College Public Relations Association. When Smith joined CASE staff as vice president for communications, she brought with her years of experience working on several higher education publications.
A 1991 Currents article, “Portrait of an Editor,” explained how Smith approached creating a new magazine for the fledgling organization:
“Establishing CASE Currrents—the magazine expected to make a happy marriage of these two [associations]—took all of Smith’s talents, from creating the concept to spotting typos in time. AAC had been publishing what Ginny calls the ‘stunningly beautiful Alma Mater,’ and she wanted to preserve its flair. AAC also had a newsletter, Commentary, in which short items told about successful programs and publications and often offered readers copies. These items were worth saving, too, she felt.
“From ACPRA, the more prosaic but faithfully read magazine Techniques, Smith shaped what she calls ‘the heart of the new magazine—the how-to articles’ for busy advancement professionals. … The magazine would go on to tackle topics like ethics, marketing, and higher education’s image.
“‘What I started out with was a clear view that the magazine needed to help people do their jobs better,’ says Smith.”
Former CASE President James Fisher called Currents the “cornerstone around which we built the organization—and Ginny was [its] heart and soul.” She quickly gained a reputation as a tough but fair editor and a dynamic leader on staff. She would go on to serve CASE for 16 years, including acting as interim president, garnering industry awards for Currents, editing nine books, recruiting and stewarding numerous volunteers, and more.
In the Currents piece, “Stories of Her Life,” CASE member Merilyn Bonney said she learned from Smith “to operate leanly with words, in action, and expenditure of resources. To write simply, using short words. To act with courage, even if the message you deliver is painful. To serve as a model of the CASE mission.”
Smith set the foundation for Currents that stands today: a magazine that chronicles trends in advancement and helps you, our readers, work smarter and more effectively.
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January - February 2025 Issue of Currents
SKY'S THE LIMIT: Dynamic marketing and communications can help institutions today reach for the stars and achieve crucial outcomes. In this issue, meet some of the 2024 Circle of Excellence winners in the field—and explore CASE’s new framework to measure the impact of this vital, increasingly sophisticated work in advancement.
