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Elmo Smith
Photo: Oregon State University, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

Elmo Smith

27th Governor of Oregon (1909–1968)

Elmo Everett Smith (November 19, 1909 – July 15, 1968) was an American politician and newspaper publisher who served as the 27th governor of Oregon from 1956 to 1957. A member of the Republican Party, Smith served two terms as mayor of Ontario, Oregon, from 1940 to 1943 before resigning to enlist in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After returning to civilian life, he served as Ontario mayor for three more terms and was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1948.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Elmo Smith (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Nov 19, 1909, died Jul 15, 1968.1

About

He became president of the Senate in 1955. Smith was elevated to the governorship following the unexpected death of Governor Paul L. Patterson on January 31, 1956. A special election in November was called to fill the position for the final two years of Patterson's term. Smith won the Republication primary but lost in gubernatorial election to Democratic nominee Robert D. Holmes.

Smith was seen as having "a Horatio Alger success story" due to his humble beginnings. He was born in a log cabin and grew up to serve as governor. He was relatively unknown to the general public across Oregon when he was sworn-in, outside of statehouse political enthusiasts, local newspaper publishers, and the small rural communities of Eastern Oregon. When it came to his politics, The Oregonian in an editorial wrote Smith "earned a reputation as a plain-speaking man who applied the rule of common sense to problems of government. He was conservative in his views on taxation and middle-of-the-road on most subjects."

From Wikipedia’s article on Elmo Smith, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Sources

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