Gomer Griffith Smith (July 11, 1896 – May 26, 1953) was an American politician and a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

from 1937 to 1939.

Early life and education

Born on a farm near

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, Smith was the son of Joseph M. and Elizabeth Lewis Smith, and attended the

common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

and high schools of Missouri. He was graduated from Rockingham Academy,

, in 1915. While teaching in a country school near

Excelsior Springs, Missouri Excelsior Springs is a city in Clay County, Missouri, Clay and Ray County, Missouri, Ray counties in the U.S. state of Missouri and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 10,553 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

from 1916 to 1918, Smith studied law. He was admitted to the Missouri

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

in 1920, to the Oklahoma bar in 1922, and commenced practice in

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

Congress

Elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Seventy-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Robert P. Hill, Smith served from December 10, 1937, to January 3, 1939. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1938, but was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

, and resumed the practice of law in Oklahoma City.

Private life

He married Hazel Mae Mizner, and they were the parents of a son and three daughters. They also adopted Gomer's youngest brother.

Death

Died in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, on May 26, 1953 (age 56 years, 319 days). He is entombed in mausoleum at Rose Hill Burial Park, Oklahoma City.

References

External links

*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Gomer Griffith 1896 births 1953 deaths Oklahoma lawyers Politicians from Kansas City, Missouri Politicians from Oklahoma City Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oklahoma 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers