Ethnicity African-American Name Sam Smith Political party Democratic Party | Occupation Politician Citizenship United States | |
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Born July 23, 1922 Gibsland, Louisiana Died November 16, 1995(1995-11-16) (aged 73)
Seattle, Washington Alma mater Seattle University, University of Washington | ||
Sam smith wins best original song at oscars 2016 dedicates to lgbt community
Samuel J. "Sam" Smith (1922-1995) was a member of the Washington House of Representatives and the Seattle City Council.
Contents
- Sam smith wins best original song at oscars 2016 dedicates to lgbt community
- Early life
- Political career
- Personal life and death
- References
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.
Political career
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. 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).
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.
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.
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."
Smith died in 1995. A park in Seattle is named after him.