Jim L. Smithson
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Lee Smithson, known as Jim L. Smithson (born September 15, 1943), is a conservative Republican
former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
who is remembered for cosponsoring legislation in his state to allow generic substitution of prescription
medications. A registered pharmacist
from Marshall
, the seat of Searcy County in northwestern Arkansas, Smithson served in the House from January 1, 1975, to December 31, 1984. He represented then District 43, created in 1970, which included his own Searcy, Marion, and a part of Baxter
counties. Later the district was numbered 40 and then 39.
Smithson also cosponsored the bill to allow optometrists to use diagnostic drugs to dilate the pupils of patients' eyes. Ophthalmologists strongly objected, but the measure passed.
Smithson was born in Marshall to Jack Smithson (1908–1973) and the former Ola Francis (1912–2003). In 1960, he graduated from Marshall High School. In 1971, he obtained his pharmacy degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe
(then Northeastern Louisiana University). For a time in the early 1970s he had a pharmacy in Marshall. From 1981-2006, Smithson was a pharmacist at Jefferson
Regional Hospital in Pine Bluff
. Divorce
d from Beverly Smithson (born 1949), Smithson is semiretired in Marshall. He has two daughters, Kimberly Ragland of Marshall and Kristie Ragland of Conway
, and four grandchildren.
Never a runaway winner in his House district, Smithson in his first election in 1974 only narrowly unseated the Democratic incumbent Claude M. Wade (January 7, 1918 - December 13, 2001) of Yellville
, the seat of Marion County. His closest contest was in 1982, when he defeated -- by forty-three votes -- Billy Joe Purdom (born ca. 1948), a Democrat also from Yellville, who would ultimately succeed him in the seat. Purdom was strongly supported by future U.S. President Bill Clinton
, who staged a gubernatorial comeback that year. Smithson did not seek a sixth term in the legislature in 1984; instead he ran unsuccessfully for county judge of Searcy County. Purdom was subsequently term-limited, and the seat went to the Republican Roy Ragland of Marshall.
Smithson once made an issue of the legitimacy of the Federal Reserve Board, established by the United States Congress
in 1913. At the request of several conservative organizations in his district, Smithson called a committee hearing to allow opponents of the Federal Reserve to air their objections. However, he lacked the votes to take the matter to the House floor.
Smithson also tried to prevent law enforcement officers from establishing "speed traps" during the era of the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit. He introduced a bill, borrowing from the example of Nevada
, to allow citations beyond 55 m.p.h. to be given for "wasting energy", rather than for actual "speeding". The distinction would have kept speeding violations off insurance
records. Arkansas newspapers editorialized against Smithson's bill by claiming that it would cause motorists not to take speed limits seriously.
Smithson's GOP
colleagues included Carolyn Pollan
of Fort Smith
, C. W. Melson
of Johnson County, Richard L. Barclay
of Rogers
, Jerry King of Greenwood
, Jerry E. Hinshaw of Springdale
, and Judy Petty Wolf
of Little Rock
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
who is remembered for cosponsoring legislation in his state to allow generic substitution of prescription
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
medications. A registered pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
from Marshall
Marshall, Arkansas
Marshall is a city in Searcy County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,313 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Searcy County. Marshall was incorporated in 1884.-Geography:Marshall is located at ....
, the seat of Searcy County in northwestern Arkansas, Smithson served in the House from January 1, 1975, to December 31, 1984. He represented then District 43, created in 1970, which included his own Searcy, Marion, and a part of Baxter
Baxter County, Arkansas
Baxter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It is in the northern part of the state, and shares a border with Missouri. It is commonly referred to as the Twin Lakes Area because it is bordered by two of Arkansas' largest lakes, Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake...
counties. Later the district was numbered 40 and then 39.
Smithson also cosponsored the bill to allow optometrists to use diagnostic drugs to dilate the pupils of patients' eyes. Ophthalmologists strongly objected, but the measure passed.
Smithson was born in Marshall to Jack Smithson (1908–1973) and the former Ola Francis (1912–2003). In 1960, he graduated from Marshall High School. In 1971, he obtained his pharmacy degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
(then Northeastern Louisiana University). For a time in the early 1970s he had a pharmacy in Marshall. From 1981-2006, Smithson was a pharmacist at Jefferson
Jefferson County, Arkansas
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its population was 77,435 at the 2010 United States Census. It is included in the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area. Jefferson County's county seat and largest city is Pine Bluff...
Regional Hospital in Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
. Divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d from Beverly Smithson (born 1949), Smithson is semiretired in Marshall. He has two daughters, Kimberly Ragland of Marshall and Kristie Ragland of Conway
Conway, Arkansas
Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...
, and four grandchildren.
Never a runaway winner in his House district, Smithson in his first election in 1974 only narrowly unseated the Democratic incumbent Claude M. Wade (January 7, 1918 - December 13, 2001) of Yellville
Yellville, Arkansas
Yellville is a city in Marion County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,312 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Marion County.-History:...
, the seat of Marion County. His closest contest was in 1982, when he defeated -- by forty-three votes -- Billy Joe Purdom (born ca. 1948), a Democrat also from Yellville, who would ultimately succeed him in the seat. Purdom was strongly supported by future U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, who staged a gubernatorial comeback that year. Smithson did not seek a sixth term in the legislature in 1984; instead he ran unsuccessfully for county judge of Searcy County. Purdom was subsequently term-limited, and the seat went to the Republican Roy Ragland of Marshall.
Smithson once made an issue of the legitimacy of the Federal Reserve Board, established by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1913. At the request of several conservative organizations in his district, Smithson called a committee hearing to allow opponents of the Federal Reserve to air their objections. However, he lacked the votes to take the matter to the House floor.
Smithson also tried to prevent law enforcement officers from establishing "speed traps" during the era of the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit. He introduced a bill, borrowing from the example of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, to allow citations beyond 55 m.p.h. to be given for "wasting energy", rather than for actual "speeding". The distinction would have kept speeding violations off insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
records. Arkansas newspapers editorialized against Smithson's bill by claiming that it would cause motorists not to take speed limits seriously.
Smithson's GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
colleagues included Carolyn Pollan
Carolyn Pollan
Carolyn Joan Clark Pollan is an American politician and former Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives who served for twelve consecutive two-year terms from 1975-1999 from a portion of Sebastian County, which includes the state's second largest city of Fort Smith...
of Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, C. W. Melson
C. W. Melson
Cyrus William "C.W." Melson was a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the Ozone community in Johnson County in northwestern Arkansas. He served from 1977 until his death in office....
of Johnson County, Richard L. Barclay
Richard L. Barclay
Richard L. "Dick" Barclay is a Certified Public Accountant in Rogers, a city in Benton County in the northwestern corner of Arkansas, USA, who was a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from December 31, 1976- December 31, 1992...
of Rogers
Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
, Jerry King of Greenwood
Greenwood, Arkansas
Greenwood is a city in and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States, perhaps best known locally for its Arkansas high school football...
, Jerry E. Hinshaw of Springdale
Springdale, Arkansas
As of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
, and Judy Petty Wolf
Judy Petty Wolf
Judy C. Petty, later Judy Petty Wolf , is a retired officer of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a former Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives...
of Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
.