“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has,” Margaret Mead.

In 1984, while studying at Stanford Graduate school of Business, Mike Smith had no idea how deeply the truth of his favorite quote would resonate throughout his own life. Mike went to classes, interviewed for jobs, and went out with friends as any other business student would. 

One of Mike’s fondest memories from that time was sailing out to sea with his close friend and classmate, Jeff Phillips. Jeff was on Stanford’s sailing team as an undergraduate, and was a selfless person who volunteered abroad between graduation and the start of Business School. Throughout his time at Stancford, Jeff had persistent health problems that grew worse over time. He chalked it up to a bug he contracted while volunteering internationally and went to a doctor to get checked out. The news was worse than Jeff expected. The doctors informed Jeff that he had AIDS. Mike stepped up to be Jeff’s primary caregiver, a constant support in the short time Jeff had left. As thousands already had and millions more would in the decades to come, Jeff’s life was abruptly ended by HIV/AIDS. 

And in response to these abrupt and mounting deaths? The US government was silent.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt

“I didn’t see a point in continuing to interview for jobs,” Mike said about the impact of Jeff’s death and the loss of others around him.

Mike got connected with Cleve Jones, an activist well known for his work with Harvey Milk and the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Cleve was looking for a partner to help realize his idea for the NAMES Project Foundation, now called the AIDS Memorial Quilt, a collection of sewn panels made by individuals to memorialize those lost to HIV/AIDS. “What I liked about the Quilt was that you didn’t need to be an activist or a medical professional to make a difference,” Mike says about what drew him to the project. Mike, who had no sewing experience in his young life, became a co-founder and dove headfirst into a project driven by a community of individuals committed to changing the world.

“We thought that our skill sets balanced each other out well,” Mike said. “We thought we might be able to really make this work.” They had no idea. Today, there are more than 50,000 panels dedicated to more than 110,000 individuals in this epic 54-ton tapestry. From draping the entire National Mall in Washington, D.C., to single-panel displays in schools and libraries around the world, the AIDS Memorial Quilt has touched the lives of millions.

“We have a lot of memorials to events in our country, but few memorials to individuals and their stories,” Mike explains about why Quilt panels often touch people more than common statistics do. “The birth and death dates on panels make it real for so many.” The AIDS Memorial Quilt at its core is a human-centered memorial. Every stitch, every thread has a personal human-to-human connection.

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Mike’s Lasting Legacy

“We learned to be in charge of our own destiny,” Mike says about what the almost forty years of the AIDS Memorial Quilt’s history have taught him about the influence people have over the legacy they leave behind. He also notes that AIDS stole from so many individuals the possibility to realize their own callings. “What you don’t get out of a Quilt panel is what life could have been. What would Jeff have done if he hadn’t died just twenty-five years into his life?”

To ensure that the memories of those lives cut short and the story of HIV/AIDS will continue to be told after Mike is gone, he added the National AIDS Memorial, now the steward of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, to his estate plan.

“At some point, AIDS will fade from public knowledge. When it does, the Quilt is the best way for people to understand it on two levels. Why did we let this happen, and how did we respond? We, as a community, took the reins and said “we got this” when our government and mainstream institutions failed us. Long after we are gone, the Quilt and National AIDS Memorial Grove will stand for people to learn and understand. I want whatever resources I have left to go to ensure the Quilt and Grove keep standing.”

Thank you, Mike, for your steadfast leadership, vision, and incredible support of those lost to HIV/AIDS and your belief in the mission of the National AIDS Memorial. Learn more about how you can make a Legacy Gift:

Planned Giving

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