James Vernon Smith
James Vernon Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Administrator of theFarmers Home Administration | |
| In office 1969–1973 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOklahoma's6thdistrict | |
| In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Jed Johnson, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | John Newbold Camp |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 23, 1926 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Died | June 23, 1973(aged 46) Grady County, Oklahoma |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mary Belle Couch Smith |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts |
| Profession | Congressman |
James Vernon Smith(July 23, 1926 – June 23, 1973) was an American politician and aU.S. RepresentativefromOklahoma.
Biography
[edit]Born inOklahoma City, Oklahoma,Smith was the son of Fred O. and Josephine Meder Smith, and was educated inTuttlepublic schoolsand attendedOklahoma College of Liberal ArtsatChickasha, Oklahoma.He married Mary Belle Couch, and the couple had three children, Jay, Sarah, and Lee Ann.[1]
Career
[edit]Smith engaged in farming and cattle raising, and served as member of the board of regents of Oklahoma Four-Year Colleges.
Elected as aRepublicanto the90th Congress,Smith served from January 3, 1967 to January 3, 1969.[2]Smith voted against theCivil Rights Act of 1968.[3]He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1968. After a 1967 redistricting plan forced him into running against either fellow RepublicanHappy Campor DemocratTom Steed,he chose to take on Steed, a conservative Democrat from Shawnee who had nearly been defeated in 1966. Smith was defeated by a 54% to 46% tally despite the fact that Nixon won a plurality in the newly drawn district.
Nominated byPresident Nixonto be Administrator of Farmers Home Administration and confirmed by theSenateon March 16, 1969, Smith served until his resignation in 1973.[4]
Death
[edit]Smith died in a wheat field fire at his farm, near Chickasha, Grady County, Oklahoma, on June 23, 1973 (age 46 years, 335 days). He isinterredat Fairlawn Cemetery, Chickasha, Oklahoma.[5]
References
[edit]- ^Hanneman, Carolyn G."Smith, James Vernon,"Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture,2009. Accessed March 20, 2015.
- ^"James Vernon Smith".Govtrack US Congress.Retrieved10 June2013.
- ^"TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES".
- ^"James Vernon Smith".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.Retrieved10 June2013.
- ^"James Vernon Smith".The Political Graveyard.Retrieved10 June2013.
External links
[edit]- United States Congress."James Vernon Smith (id: S000560)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- James Vernon SmithatFind a Grave
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1926 births
- 1973 deaths
- Politicians from Oklahoma City
- People from Chickasha, Oklahoma
- Farmers from Oklahoma
- Accidental deaths in Oklahoma
- Deaths from fire in the United States
- Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oklahoma
- People from Tuttle, Oklahoma
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma alumni
- 20th-century American legislators
- Lawyers from Oklahoma City
- Businesspeople from Oklahoma City
- United States Department of Agriculture officials
- 20th-century American lawyers