Elmo Everett Smith (November 19, 1909July 15, 1968) was an American Republican politician who served as the 27th Governor of Oregon from 1956 to 1957.

Early life

Smith was born in Grand Junction, Colorado on November 19, 1909. At the age of ten, his mother died, and at age thirteen, his father died, leaving young Elmo an orphan. He was sent to live with his uncle on a ranch near Wilder, Idaho. He supported himself financially as he pursued an education at the College of Idaho in

Caldwell Caldwell may refer to: People * Caldwell (surname) * Caldwell (given name) * Caldwell First Nation, a federally recognized Indian band in southern Ontario, Canada Places Great Britain * Caldwell, Derbyshire, a hamlet * Caldwell, East ...

. Smith received his B.A. in History in 1932, and moved to nearby Ontario, Oregon, just across the

Snake River The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...

from Idaho. In Ontario, Smith began a long and successful career in the newspaper business. The year he arrived in town, Smith managed the ''

Ontario Argus The ''Argus Observer'' is the daily newspaper of Ontario, Oregon, United States. The newspaper was established on January 6, 1897, and went through several names and owners before becoming the ''Argus Observer'', which is a reference to Argus Pano ...

'', and founded the ''Ontario Observer'' in 1936. As a newspaper owner and publisher, he began to gain stature in the community and entered politics. Voters in Ontario elected Smith mayor in 1940, and returned him to office for a second term in 1942. He resigned in 1943 in order to enlist in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War. Smith earned the rank of Lieutenant, serving in the Pacific Theater of Operations. He flew transport planes, and later commanded an air transport base in the South Pacific. He returned to civilian life at the war's 1945 conclusion. Upon returning to Ontario, its citizens returned Smith to the mayor's office. He continued to manage his newspaper holdings, purchasing the John Day ''Blue Mountain Eagle'', and gaining an interest in '' The Madras Pioneer''; while selling off his Ontario papers. In 1948, voters in Grant, Malheur, and Harney counties elected him to represent the region in the state senate.

President of the Oregon State Senate

State Senator Smith would stand up to the influential trucking and powerful lumber industry lobbies to gain passage of an increase in the state highway tax. His support for transportation projects gained him the chairmanship on the Senate Roads and Highways Committee in 1952, and was elected

President of the Senate President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for e ...

in 1955.

Governorship

The unexpected death of Governor Paul L. Patterson on January 31, 1956 elevated Senate President Elmo Smith to fill out the remainder of the first half of his term. Upon assuming office, Smith found himself running the state and a campaign for the 1956 gubernatorial election. His administration successfully raised spending on Public Education, formed a commission on aging, and joined a tri-state water-power consortium. He managed the state's finances in a fiscally conservative manner. Governor Smith also helped create the Water Resources Board, the agency that today manages and regulates Oregon's water resources. While winning the Republican nomination for governor, Smith was defeated in his attempt to win the governorship in his own right, to complete the last 2 years of Patterson's term.

Robert D. Holmes Robert Denison Holmes (May 11, 1909 – June 6, 1976) was an American politician and journalist from the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of the state of New York, he worked in newspapers and radio before entering politics. Though a Republican earl ...

, his Democratic challenger, managed to win a narrow victory in the 1956 gubernatorial race.

Later life

After leaving Salem, Smith concentrated on his newspaper empire, purchasing several weekly newspapers and the '' Albany Democrat-Herald'', his largest acquisition. He ended up moving to Albany to better manage the ''Democrat-Herald''. Smith returned to politics in a bid for the United States Senate seat opened by the death of

Richard Neuberger Richard Lewis Neuberger (December 26, 1912March 9, 1960) was an American journalist, author, and politician during the middle of the 20th century. A native of Oregon, he wrote for ''The New York Times'' before and after a stint in the U.S. Army d ...

in 1960. Smith lost this race to Maurine Neuberger, the Senator's widow. A run for National Chairman for the Republican Party failed in 1964. His last attempt at elected office, the chairmanship of the Oregon State Republican Party was successful.

Death and legacy

Smith died of cancer on July 15, 1968 in Albany, aged 58, and is buried in the Willamette Memorial Park Mausoleum. Smith's son, Dennis Alan "Denny" Smith, represented Oregon in the United States Congress from 1981 to 1991 and was the Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon in 1994.

References

External links

Oregon State Archives: Smith Administration
– Photo, bio, records, and some public speeches of Governor Smith. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Elmo 1909 births 1968 deaths 20th-century American politicians United States Navy personnel of World War II American newspaper publishers (people) College of Idaho alumni Deaths from cancer in Oregon Republican Party governors of Oregon Mayors of places in Oregon People from Albany, Oregon People from Grand Junction, Colorado People from Ontario, Oregon People from Wilder, Idaho Presidents of the Oregon State Senate Republican Party Oregon state senators Oregon Republican Party chairs United States Navy officers Military personnel from Oregon Military personnel from Colorado