Joseph T. "Joe" Smitherman (December 23, 1929 — September 11, 2005) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 who served more than 35 years as mayor of Selma, Alabama

Selma, Alabama

Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, United States, located on the banks of the Alabama River. The population was 20,512 at the 2000 census....

. He was in office during the Selma to Montgomery marches

Selma to Montgomery marches

The Selma to Montgomery marches were three marches in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. They grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League...

 of the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

Life and career

Smitherman was born in Alberta, Alabama

Alberta, Alabama

Alberta is an unincorporated community in Wilcox County, Alabama, United States.-Geography:Alberta is located at and has an elevation of ....

. His family moved to Selma, where he graduated from high school. Smitherman worked as a railroad brakeman before joining the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. Upon discharge, he opened a home appliance

Home appliance

Home appliances are electrical/mechanical machines which accomplish some household functions, such as cooking or cleaning. Home appliances can be classified into:*Major appliances, or White goods*Small appliances, or Brown goods...

 store. In 1960, he won a seat on the Selma City Council. He was elected mayor in 1964. Smitherman lost to James Perkins, Jr. in the 2000 mayoral election.

Death

At the time of his death, Smitherman was recuperating from hip surgery and had heart problems. The Joseph T. Smitherman Historic Building

Joseph T. Smitherman Historic Building

The Joseph T. Smitherman Historic Building, also known by a variety of other names throughout its history, is a historic Greek Revival building in Selma, Alabama. Completed in 1847, it has served many functions in the more than 160 years of its existence...

in Selma is named in his honor.