User:Leesmith69/sandbox
James E. Smith Jr. | |
|---|---|
| File:James E. Smith Jr.jpg James E. Smith Jr | |
| Born | June 10, 1916 |
| Died | April 6, 1995 |
| Occupation | Executive |
| Known for | Civil Rights activist in Dallas, Texas |
James Edwin Smith Jr. (June 10, 1916 – April 6, 1995) was an American civic leader, corporate executive, and the 12th president of the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce. A steadfast advocate for civil rights, equitable business practices, and community empowerment, Smith played a central role in the peaceful desegregation of Dallas public facilities. He later served as a senior personnel executive at Sears, Roebuck and Company.Black Monitor Editorial Board. (1981, February). James E. Smith of Sears: A persistent pioneer. New National Black Monitor, 1–4. Personal collection of Lee Stanley Smith.
Early life and education
[edit]Smith was born in Austin, Texas, to James Edwin Smith Sr. and Hattie Lee Campbell Smith. His father held leadership roles in the Colored Knights of Pythias of Texas and served as Board Chairman of the Dallas Moorland YMCA (1933–1939). He was described in A.W. Jackson’s A Sure Foundation: A Sketch of Negro Life in Texas (1940) as "civic-minded" and active in "every progressive movement in Dallas for our racial betterment."
Smith’s maternal grandfather, Rev. Dr. Lee Lewis Campbell, was pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Austin for 35 years, President of the General Baptist State Convention of Texas, and founder/editor of the Texas Baptist Herald. Jackson described him as "one of the greatest religious statesmen that Texas has produced."
Smith graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas, studied at Morehouse College, and earned a B.S. from Springfield College in Massachusetts in 1939. He later pursued graduate studies at Texas A&M University and the University of Wisconsin, and received a Doctor of Humane Letters (Litt.D.) from King Memorial College in 1977.
Military service
[edit]Smith served in the U.S. Navy during World War II from 1945 to 1946 as an adult education instructor at the U.S. Naval Training Station in Bainbridge, Maryland.
Career
[edit]Smith began his professional career in Dallas as the founder of J.E. Smith and Company Insurance Agency. He later joined the Dallas Housing Authority in 1940, serving for two decades and eventually becoming Supervisor of Management for several public housing projects including Frazier Courts.Dallas Housing Authority. (1964, July 16). Letter accepting resignation of James E. Smith. Personal collection of Lee Stanley Smith.Dallas Housing Authority. (1964, October 20). Resolution of tribute to James E. Smith for two decades of service. Personal collection of Lee Stanley Smith.
In 1964, Smith accepted an executive position at Sears, Roebuck and Company in Chicago.Sears, Roebuck and Co. (1964, July 9). Letter of appointment to James E. Smith. Personal collection of Lee Stanley Smith. He later became Director of Minority Affairs and Assistant Director of Corporate Affirmative Action Programs. His promotion was reported in the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Courier.Chicago Sun-Times. (1965, March 12). Sears promotes James E. Smith in area office.Chicago Courier. (1965, March 20). New Sears appointee. Chicago Courier.
Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce
[edit]From 1961 to 1963, Smith served as president of the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce (now the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce).Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce. (1966, June 10). Distinguished Citizen Award: James Edwin Smith Jr. Personal collection of Lee Stanley Smith.The Dallas Morning News. (1962, February 6). ‘All-out war’ on slums urged by J. E. Smith, civic figure. Section 1, p. 9. He was part of the interracial committee that helped desegregate public accommodations in Dallas. In 1966, he received the Chamber’s Distinguished Citizen Award.
Role in 1963 Dallas Kennedy visit and memorial
[edit]On November 22, 1963, Smith was a member of the Airport Reception Committee that welcomed President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at Love Field in Dallas.U.S. Secret Service. (1964). Warren Commission Hearings, Volume XVII: Commission Exhibit 767: U.S. Secret Service Survey Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.National Archives. (n.d.). Airport Reception Committee List. https://nara-media-001.s3.amazonaws.com/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-272/605417-key-persons/sanders_barefoot/sanders_barefoot.pdfDillard, T. C. (Photographer). (1963, November 22). Tom C. Dillard Collection. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.Dallas Times Herald. (1963, November 22). Image of Kennedys greeting dignitaries. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.HelmerReenberg. (2021, October 16). November 22, 1963 – President John F. Kennedy and Party Arriving Love Field Airport, Dallas, Texas [Video]. YouTube.
He was also invited to the Trade Mart luncheon scheduled for the same day.Dallas Citizens Council, Dallas Assembly, & Science Research Center. (1963, November 22). Invitation to luncheon honoring President John F. Kennedy. Personal collection of Lee Stanley Smith.
Following the assassination, Smith was appointed to the John F. Kennedy Citizens Memorial Committee on December 2, 1963, by County Judge Lew Sterrett and Mayor Earle Cabell.Stemmons, J. M. (1963, December 2). Western Union telegram to James E. Smith. Personal collection of Lee Stanley Smith.Sterrett, L., & Cabell, E. (1963, December 2). Joint statement on appointments. Personal collection of Lee Stanley Smith.
Personal life
[edit]Smith was married to Anita Lain Smith, a native of Macon, Georgia, and graduate of Spelman College and the University of North Texas. She was a teacher and counselor in schools across several states and later served as a tenured assistant professor at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. She was active in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and Jack and Jill of America.
They had four children and lived in both Dallas and Chicago. Smith was affiliated with numerous civic and professional organizations, including:
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (Life Member)
National Urban League (Commerce and Industry Committee)
NAACP (Life Member)
National Negro Business League
National Newspaper Publishers Association
Boy Scouts of America
Cosmopolitan Chamber of Commerce (Chicago)
Dallas United Fund Budget Committee
Episcopal Diocese of Dallas Urban Work Committee
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
Honors and recognition
[edit]1966 – Distinguished Citizen Award, Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce
1973 – "Guardian of Berlin’s Freedom" Award, U.S. Commander, Berlin
1976 – Humanitarian Award, St. Matthew’s A.M.E. Church
1977 – Doctor of Humane Letters, King Memorial College
Additional honors from the Dallas County Grand Jury, American Red Cross, and Dallas Housing Authority