Otis Milton Smith (February 20, 1922 – June 29, 1994) was the first African American justice on the

Michigan Supreme Court The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is Michigan's court of last resort and consists of seven justices. The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice at 925 Ottawa Street in Lansing, the state ...

and the

General Counsel A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department. In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...

for

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

. Smith graduated from law school at

The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution ...

in 1950, where he was a member of the first volume of the school's ''Law Review''. He then went to

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...

, where he engaged in private practice until 1957. At that time he was appointed to the Michigan Public Service Commission. His reputation for fighting graft there earned him a nickname: "the man who shot Santa Claus." From 1959 until 1961 Smith served as

Michigan Auditor General The Michigan Auditor General is the chief fiscal officer of the State of Michigan. The Office of the Auditor General was established in 1836 and, with changes to the Michigan Constitution in 1963, has become the independent oversight arm of the Leg ...

. He was appointed a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court in 1961 by Governor

John Swainson John Burley Swainson (July 31, 1925 – May 13, 1994) was a Canadian-American politician and jurist who served as the 42nd governor of Michigan from 1961 to 1963. Early life and education Swainson was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He mo ...

He retained his seat in the 1962 election but lost re-election in 1966, and was then hired by General Motors. He would rise to become vice-president and General Counsel. In

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

, Smith served as a

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

. In 1983, his portrait was dedicated at the Michigan Supreme Court. A portrait also hangs in the admissions of The Catholic University of America,

Columbus School of Law The Columbus School of Law, also known as Catholic Law or CUA Law, is the law school of the Catholic University of America, a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. More than 400 Juris Doctor students attend Catholic Law ...

. A scholarship in his name is administered by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. It is given to a single mother, and can be used for tuition at

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

, any campus of the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, or the law school at The Catholic University of America.

Sources

Michigan Supreme Court Historical SocietyMichigan Bar Journal

Endnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Otis Milton 1922 births 1994 deaths African-American judges African-American lawyers Michigan Auditors General Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court Politicians from Memphis, Tennessee Michigan state court judges Michigan lawyers Columbus School of Law alumni 1968 United States presidential electors 20th-century American judges 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century African-American politicians

See also

Sources

Endnotes