*J-Club Distinguished Service Award Recipient
"There's such great tradition and longevity here," said Arth, a 1966 graduate. "I've known some of these coaches for so long they're like family.
"And Saint John's is just a special place. It becomes a part of you. To me, it's the greatest place on Earth; not Disney World."
Arth, in fact, was the first person to greet legendary longtime Johnnie basketball coach Jim Smith when Smith initially set foot on campus to interview for the then-vacant position in 1964.
"I was a junior at the time and it was during freshman orientation," he recalls. "Jim looked so young, I thought he was a lost freshman. So I asked if he needed help."
Smith actually did, enlisting Arth to become the student manager the following season. And his assistance was invaluable to a coach still trying to find his footing in a new job.
"There wasn't the kind of coaching staffs you see now, so he really did a little bit of everything," Smith said. "I was grateful to have him."
Arth did all that despite the fact he was already both a standout player and the student head coach of the SJU tennis team.
In the years since graduation, he has remained involved with Johnnie sports, including as a member of the SJU J-Club.
