Sam Smith (politician)

Samuel J. "Sam" Smith
Born July 23, 1922
Gibsland, Louisiana
Died November 16, 1995(1995-11-16) (aged 73)
Seattle, Washington
Ethnicity African-American
Citizenship United States
Alma mater Seattle University, University of Washington
Occupation Politician
Political party Democratic Party
Spouse(s) Marion King

Samuel J. "Sam" Smith (1922-1995) was a member of the Washington House of Representatives and the Seattle City Council.

Early life

Smith was born on July 23, 1922, in Gibsland, Louisiana to a Baptist minister. Smith served stateside in the U.S. Army during World War II; in 1942 he was stationed in Seattle, Washington and, on discharge, decided to remain. In Seattle, Smith received degrees from Seattle University and the University of Washington and went to work for the Boeing Company.[1]

Political career

Sam Smith meets with a representative from the Washington Federation of State Employees in 1961.

In 1958, Smith defeated Republican Charles Stokes for a seat in the Washington House of Representatives representing Washington's 37th legislative district. Smith's victory over Stokes, the second African-American elected to the Washington legislature, made him just the third African-American to win a seat in the state house, as well as the first from the Democratic Party.[2] One of his first acts in the legislature was to introduce a bill, which ultimately failed, that would have banned discrimination based on race or religion in the rental or sale of homes (the measure eventually passed in his final term).[1]

Smith was reelected to three additional terms, serving in the legislature until January 1967 when he left to seek a seat on the Seattle City Council, which he won. Smith continued to serve on the council until 1991 when he was defeated for reelection due, in part, to mobilization of Seattle's LGBT community, who were upset with some of his socially conservative positions.[3]

Smith served as president of the city council for eight years and ran unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Seattle four times during his council tenure.[1]

Personal life and death

Smith's wife, Marion King Smith, unsuccessfully sought to win Smith's former seat in the legislature in 1970, being defeated by Republican Michael Ross. Smith would later attribute Ross' victory over his wife to a defection of Smith's traditional allies among the district's black leaders who were "afraid that the power in the black community was too centered on me. They knew I would be helping her [Marion] make decisions, and they didn't want me to have that kind of reach."[4]

Smith died in 1995.[3] A park in Seattle is named after him.[2]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sam Smith (politician).
  1. 1 2 3 Henry, Mary (1998). "Smith, Sam (1922-1995)". historylink.org. HistoryInk. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Sam Smith Park". seattle.gov. City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 Large, Jerry (17 November 1995). "Sam Smith, `Everyone's Neighbor,' Dies -- Former Seattle Councilman Was 73". Seattle Times. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Bridgeman, Diane (2000). Sam Smith: an Oral History. Olympia, Washington: Washington Secretary of State. p. 114.
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