Bob Smith (Oregon politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = File:Robert Freeman Smith.jpg

| office = Chair of the House Agriculture Committee

| term_start = January 3, 1997

| term_end = January 3, 1999

| predecessor = Pat Roberts

| successor = Larry Combest

| state1 = Oregon

| district1 = {{ushr|OR|2|2nd}}

| term_start1 = January 3, 1997

| term_end1 = January 3, 1999

| predecessor1 = Wes Cooley

| successor1 = Greg Walden

| term_start2 = January 3, 1983

| term_end2 = January 3, 1995

| predecessor2 = Denny Smith

| successor2 = Wes Cooley

| state_senate3 = Oregon

| term_start3 = 1973

| term_end3 = 1981

| district3 = 30th

| predecessor3 =

| successor3 = Gene Timms

| office4 = 52nd Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives

| term_start4 = 1969

| term_end4 = 1973

| predecessor4 = F. F. Montgomery

| successor4 = Richard O. Eymann

| state_house5 = Oregon

| district5 = 26th

| term5 = 1961–1973

| predecessor5 = Clinton P. Haight, Jr.

| successor5 = Denny Jones

| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|6|16|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Portland, Oregon, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age |2020|09|21|1931|6|16}}

| death_place = Medford, Oregon, U.S.

| party = Republican

| education = Willamette University (BS)

| spouse = {{marriage|Kaye Elizabeth Tomlinson|February 19, 1966}}

| children = 3

}}

Robert Freeman "Bob" Smith (June 16, 1931{{spnd}}September 21, 2020) was an American politician from Oregon. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995 and again from 1997 to 1999.

Early life and education

Smith was born in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in Burns, Oregon. His father, Benjamin F. Smith, was a doctor. He attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor's degree in agriculture. He worked as a rancher until his election to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1960.{{cite web |title=SMITH, Robert Freeman {{!}} US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives |url=https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/21885 |website=history.house.gov |access-date=September 22, 2020 |language=en}}

Career

File:Vice President Bush in Medford, Oregon (18962126024).jpg in 1988]]

Smith served in the state House from 1961 to 1973, serving as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives for the 1969 and 1971 sessions.[https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Documents/elections/history-officials.pdf Oregon Blue Book: Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Speakers of the House of Representatives of Oregon.] Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on June 9, 2008. He was in the Oregon State Senate from 1973 to 1981 and served as minority leader from 1978 to 1982.{{cite web|url=https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/smith-robert-f/|title=Robert Freeman Smith (1931–2020)|last=Moore|first=Jim|publisher=Oregon Encyclopedia|accessdate=June 12, 2023}} Between 1965 and 1969, Smith was the president of the Oregon Public Land Commission.

Smith was elected to Congress from Oregon's 2nd congressional district in 1982. The district's incumbent, freshman Republican Denny Smith (no relation), opted to run in the newly created 5th district after it absorbed much of the western portion of the old 2nd, including Denny Smith's home in Salem. Smith served in Congress until 1995. After a brief retirement, he returned to Congress in 1997. Wes Cooley, the Republican who had succeeded Smith in the House, had been caught in several lies about his military service and Smith was persuaded to come out of retirement.{{cite news|last=Fattig|first=Paul|title=Former congressman, felon Cooley may run for office again|newspaper=Mail Tribune|location=Medford, Oregon|date=March 1998|url=http://archive.mailtribune.com/archive/98/mar98/3698n1.htm|access-date=May 31, 2010|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172800/http://www.mailtribune.com/section/archive|url-status=dead}} Upon his return, he was elected chairman of the United States House Committee on Agriculture, but only served one term before retiring for good.

Personal life

On February 19, 1966, Smith married Kaye Elizabeth Tomlinson in Salem. Her father was the clerk of Marion County, Oregon.{{cite news |last1=Maudlin |first1=Gene |title=House Speaker Smith Not Conservative or Liberal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59782739/house-speaker-smith-not-conservative-or/ |access-date=September 22, 2020 |work=The Capital Journal |date=January 28, 1971 |pages=23}} The wedding was attended by F. F. Montgomery, the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, among others.{{cite news |title=Kaye Tomlinson and Robert F. Smith Wed at Church Nuptials |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59780654/kaye-tomlinson-and-robert-f-smith-wed/ |access-date=September 22, 2020 |work=Statesman Journal |location=Salem, Oregon |date=February 20, 1966 |pages=17}} By January 1971, Smith and his wife had two sons and a daughter.

= Car wreck =

On February 8, 2016, Smith struck and killed a pedestrian while driving in Medford, Oregon. The pedestrian was in the crosswalk when Smith hit him with his car, and he later died at the scene. Smith did not flee the scene, was cooperative with investigators, and was determined to not be under the influence of intoxicants at the time of the wreck. No charges or citations were filed against him regarding the wreck.{{cite news|last=Jaquiss|first=Nigel|date=February 9, 2016|title=Former Oregon Congressman Bob Smith Fatally Injured a Pedestrian|work=Willamette Week|url=https://www.wweek.com/news/2016/02/09/former-oregon-congressman-bob-smith-fatally-injured-a-pedestrian/|access-date=July 3, 2019}}; {{cite news|date=February 9, 2016|title=Former U.S. Rep. Bob Smith kills pedestrian in Medford|work=The Oregonian|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2016/02/former_us_rep_bob_smith_kills.html|access-date=July 3, 2019}}

= Death =

Smith died on September 21, 2020, in Medford, Oregon at the age of 89.{{cite news|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/09/former-oregon-congressman-bob-smith-dies-at-89.html|title=Former Oregon Congressman Bob Smith Dies at 89|last=Ramakrishnan|first=Jayati|publisher=OregonLive.com|date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 21, 2020}}