Forrest Smith
Encyclopedia
Forrest Smith was the 42nd Governor of Missouri. He was a Democrat.
, Smith attended Westminster College (Missouri). On October 12, 1915 he married Mildred Williams and they were the parents of two daughters, Forrestine and Mary Josephine.
state tax commission, a post that laid the groundwork for a long career in statewide elected office. In 1932 Forrest Smith was elected Missouri state auditor, a post he would hold for the next sixteen years until being elected governor in 1948. According to the August 16, 1948 issue of Time magazine, Smith "helped get himself re-elected by reminding voters he was the man who mailed out the old-age pension checks."
Gubernatorial Controversies: From the outset, Forrest Smith's term as governor was followed by whisper and innuendo, primarily that he owed his election to elements of organized crime. By 1948 reputed Kansas City
mobster Charlie Binaggio had rebuilt a powerful political machine from the ashes of the one originally created by Boss Tom Pendergast
, which he used in Smiths favor. According to American Mafia.com:
The Smith-Binaggio connection and its effect on Mob business nationwide even played a part in Senator Estes Kefauver's 1950 "Senate Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce", in particular the "Forrest Smith for Governor Club" This mafia influence greatly tainted the relationship between Smith and the national Democratic party. Despite this, Smith, as sitting governor, was the lead delegate to the 1952 Democratic National Convention. Additionally, the 1950 murder of Binaggio had closed off many avenues of fundraising and guaranteed votes. By now in his mid-60s with a lifetime of public service, Governor Smith retired from public life following completion of his term in January 1953. Governor Smith died March 8, 1962 in Gulfport, Mississippi. He is buried in Sunny Slope Cemetery, Richmond, Missouri
.
Personal
Forrest Smith was born February 14, 1886 near Hardin in Ray County, Missouri. After receiving his secondary education at Woodson Institute in Richmond, MissouriRichmond, Missouri
Richmond is a city in Ray County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,797 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ray County.-Geography:Richmond is located at...
, Smith attended Westminster College (Missouri). On October 12, 1915 he married Mildred Williams and they were the parents of two daughters, Forrestine and Mary Josephine.
Career
Forrest Smith began his lifelong political career in 1910 when he became deputy assessor for Ray County, Missouri. In 1914 he was elected county clerk for Ray County, a post he held for the next eight years. From 1925 to 1932 Smith served on the MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
state tax commission, a post that laid the groundwork for a long career in statewide elected office. In 1932 Forrest Smith was elected Missouri state auditor, a post he would hold for the next sixteen years until being elected governor in 1948. According to the August 16, 1948 issue of Time magazine, Smith "helped get himself re-elected by reminding voters he was the man who mailed out the old-age pension checks."
Gubernatorial Controversies: From the outset, Forrest Smith's term as governor was followed by whisper and innuendo, primarily that he owed his election to elements of organized crime. By 1948 reputed Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
mobster Charlie Binaggio had rebuilt a powerful political machine from the ashes of the one originally created by Boss Tom Pendergast
Tom Pendergast
Thomas Joseph Pendergast controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri as a political boss. "Boss Tom" Pendergast gave workers jobs and helped elect politicians during the Great Depression, becoming wealthy in the process.-Early years:Thomas Joseph Pendergast, also known to close friends as...
, which he used in Smiths favor. According to American Mafia.com:
"When Binaggio swung the vote for Forrest Smith and he won the Democratic nomination for governor in 1948, he convinced the gambling interests throughout the state that with their financial support Smith could win in the November election and they could “open up” the state. The amount of money the gamblers put up was estimated to be between $50,000 to $200,000, most of it from the St. Louis/East St. Louis area."
The Smith-Binaggio connection and its effect on Mob business nationwide even played a part in Senator Estes Kefauver's 1950 "Senate Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce", in particular the "Forrest Smith for Governor Club" This mafia influence greatly tainted the relationship between Smith and the national Democratic party. Despite this, Smith, as sitting governor, was the lead delegate to the 1952 Democratic National Convention. Additionally, the 1950 murder of Binaggio had closed off many avenues of fundraising and guaranteed votes. By now in his mid-60s with a lifetime of public service, Governor Smith retired from public life following completion of his term in January 1953. Governor Smith died March 8, 1962 in Gulfport, Mississippi. He is buried in Sunny Slope Cemetery, Richmond, Missouri
Richmond, Missouri
Richmond is a city in Ray County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,797 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ray County.-Geography:Richmond is located at...
.
Legacy
- The 1951 Municipal Land Clearance for Redevelopment Law. Signed by Governor Smith, it allowed for the issuance of bonds by cities and towns statewide, which greatly expanded and improved public infrastructure such as water and sewer, as well as new industry in blighted areas.
- Forrest Lake, the centerpiece of Thousand Hills State ParkThousand Hills State ParkThousand Hills State Park is located in Adair County, Missouri, two miles west of Kirksville, Missouri. The park was established in 1952. Primary features are the Forrest Lake and Native American petroglyphs.-History:...
near Kirksville, MissouriKirksville, MissouriKirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
is named for Governor Smith. - A dormitory at the University of MissouriUniversity of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
in Columbia, MissouriColumbia, MissouriColumbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
also bore his name before being torn down in 2004. - Missouri environmentalists consider an eloquent denunciation by former Governor Smith of US Army Corps of Engineers plans to construct a dam the Current River as being one of the contributing factor to the plans' defeat.