43 Facts About Elmo Smith

Elmo Everett Smith was an American politician and newspaper publisher who served as the 27th Governor of Oregon from 1956 to 1957.

Elmo Smith was seen as having "a Horatio Alger success story" due to his humble beginnings.

Elmo Smith was born in a log cabin and grew up to serve as governor.

Elmo Smith 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.

Elmo Smith is conservative in his views on taxation and middle-of-the-road on most subjects.

Elmo Smith was born on November 19,1909, in a log cabin near Grand Junction, Colorado.

Elmo Smith was then sent to live with his aunt and uncle on a cattle ranch near Wilder, Idaho.

Elmo Smith supported himself financially as he pursued an education at the College of Idaho in Caldwell.

Elmo Smith went on to work as an advertising manager at the Ontario Argus before buying his own press to start a rival newspaper in 1936 called the Eastern Oregon Observer.

Elmo Smith's son Dennis Alan Smith was born in 1938.

At age 26, Elmo Smith was elected president of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

Elmo Smith was considered young for his age and had beaten an incumbent running for his seventh term.

Elmo Smith played a big part in securing government aid from the Works Progress Administration and Civil Aeronautics Authority to develop the Ontario Municipal Airport, making it one of the first airfields and civilian training programs at a small town in the US This proved useful to the military when the nation entered WWII.

However, Elmo Smith called for the federal government to allow Japanese Americans to settle in Ontario.

Elmo Smith wrote positive editorials about Japanese immigrants to combat xenophobia.

Elmo Smith, dubbed the "Flying Mayor," was named commander of eastern Oregon units of the Civil Air Patrol on April 3,1942.

Elmo Smith flew transport planes, and later commanded an air transport base in the South Pacific.

Elmo Smith won special commendation for leadership in a crisis.

Elmo Smith returned to civilian life at the war's conclusion, but would continue to fly planes at campaign events.

In December 1946, Elmo Smith sold the Observer to Jessica Longston and Robert Pollock and used the proceeds to purchase the Blue Mountain Eagle in June 1948.

Elmo Smith later moved to John Day to manage the paper.

Also of note, in July 1947, the City of Ontario under Elmo Smith issued and approved its first ever special tax levy.

In 1948, Elmo Smith was elected to represent Grant, Malheur, and Harney counties in the state senate.

Elmo Smith would go on to be a leader in promoting legislation for good roads and clean water.

Elmo Smith served on the roads and highways committee in the 1949 session and was chairman in 1951.

Elmo Smith grew to statewide prominence in a fight against the trucking industry.

Elmo Smith was under a lot of pressure from the truckers.

Elmo Smith wrote editorials in support of the tax and campaigned all over the state.

Elmo Smith was the original sponsor of The Water Appropriation Act, which established the Water Resources Board, an agency created to manage and regulate Oregon's water resources.

Senator Elmo Smith was elected President of the Senate in 1955.

Elmo Smith was expected to inherit the role of Oregon governor if incumbent Paul L Patterson decided to run for the United States Senate in the 1956 election.

Elmo Smith was the first licensed airplane pilot to serve as Oregon governor.

Elmo Smith owned a private plane but agreed not to fly it while in office, a concession to party leaders who recalled the 1947 Oregon Beechcraft Bonanza crash that killed three state officials.

Elmo Smith won the Republican primary against "token opposition" but was defeated in his attempt to win the governorship in his own right and complete the last two years of Patterson's term.

In 1957, Elmo Smith became a co-owner of Democrat-Herald Publishing Co.

Elmo Smith then moved to Albany to work as the paper's publisher.

Elmo Smith lost the race to Maurine Neuberger, the Senator's widow.

In 1961, Elmo Smith purchased the Hood River News and the Cottage Grove Sentinel.

In 1964, Elmo Smith ran for a seat on the Republican National Committee.

Elmo Smith withdrew his candidacy to accept the chairmanship of the Oregon Republican Party.

In 1968, Elmo Smith sold the Blue Mountain Eagle right before his death.

Elmo Smith died of cancer on July 15,1968, in Albany, aged 58.

Elmo Smith was buried in the Willamette Memorial Park Mausoleum.