Northern Michigan University 1972 alumnus Richard P. Smith was one of two 2025 Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees honored by the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association (MOWA), and the first Upper Peninsula resident to earn the distinction. He also received the organization's Harold "Opie" Titus Award for Best Book for Nickel & Dime Your Way To Extra Dollars While Saving The Planet at the same meeting.
An outdoor writer for more than 50 years, Smith began his career with the Mining Journal in Marquette while in high school. Over the decades, he has established himself as a nationally recognized essayist, photographer and speaker. He has published 32 books along with thousands of magazine articles on wildlife. His work appears in Woods-N-Water News, Michigan Outdoor News, and in national publications including Deer and Deer Hunting, Buckmasters, Rack, North American Whitetail, Outdoor Life, Bowhunter, and National Wildlife.
Smith has received numerous awards from the MOWA and the Michigan United Conservation Club's Ben East Prize for bear management coverage. That same year, he was given the title "Outdoor Journalist of the Year" by the Flint Chapter of Safari Club International.
Founded in 1943, MOWA is a nonprofit organization of outdoor communicators, including various media representatives such as photographers, writers, and broadcasters. Members cover a wide range of subjects, including hunting, fishing, conservation, wildlife management, and recreation. For more information, go to miowa.net.
The Outdoor Hall of Fame was established in 2017 to recognize Michigan outdoor communicators, conservation volunteers, public sector employees, entrepreneurs, artists, and instructors who have made lasting contributions at the state and national levels. The Hall of Fame display is located at Jay's and Webber Wildlife and Nature Center in Clare, Michigan.
