Forrest Smith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Forrest Smith (February 14, 1886–March 8, 1962) was a Governor of Missouri. He was a Democrat.

Smith was born in Ray County in Missouri. He was the Missouri state auditor between 1933 and 1949. He became the Governor of Missouri in 1949 and served until 1953. He was a delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri in 1952. Smith died in 1962.

Smith first entered politics as the Ray County deputy assessor, a position he held four years. He also served eight years as county clerk, was a member of the state tax commission from 1925 to 1932. A four-time State Auditor(1933-1949) Forrest Smith helped himself get re-elected by reminding voters that he was the man who mailed out the old-age pension checks and won the Democratic nomination for governor in 1948. His Republican opponent was Murray Thompson, operator of a small-town furniture store and Speaker of the House. It has been said that one of the reasons that Smith won the governor's election was the influence provided by Missouri mobsters that favored gambling, led by Charles Binaggio. Binaggio was later murdered in April of 1950, many think as a result of this failed support for state-wide gambling.

Governor Forrest Smith enjoyed Christmas and other holidays with his grandchildren. He could be seen sneaking around the Mansion on Easter mornings hiding colored eggs. His grandchildren caused excitement at the Mansion at other times, too. One had to be rescued from a locked bathroom by the fire department, and another released a squirrel in the Mansion. When First Lady Mildred Smith’s portrait was unveiled, the covering dropped and blanketed her two-year-old granddaughter, who laughed with delight.

But Governor Smith said: “Sometimes I feel like I am confined in a glorified jail. ... I miss seeing and visiting with my many friends.”

Smith is the second governor to be buried in Sunny Slope Cemetery in Richmond, Missouri. The first was Austin King (1802-1870), who served as governor exactly 100 years before Smith (1848-1853).This cemetery is also the final resting place for Bob Ford, the man who shot Jesse James.

This article about a Missouri politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.