Robert Freeman Smith (June 16, 1931September 21, 2020), commonly known as Bob Smith, was an American

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician who represented Oregon in the

United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from 1983 to 1995 and from 1997 to 1999.

Early life and education

Smith was born in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, and grew up in

Burns, Oregon Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to the 2010 census, the population was 2,806. Burns and the nearby city of Hines are home to about 60 percent of the people in the sparsely pop ...

. His father, Benjamin F. Smith, was a doctor. He attended

Willamette University Willamette University is a private liberal arts college with locations in Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United States. Originally named the Oregon Institute, the school was an unaffiliated ...

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor's degree in agriculture. He worked as a rancher until his election to the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the ...

in 1960.

Career

Vice President Bush in Medford, Oregon (18962126024)

Smith served in the state House until he retired in 1972 to return to his ranch. He was

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

of the House for the 1969 and 1971 sessions. Between 1965 and 1969, Smith was the president of the Oregon Public Land Commission. After more than a decade out of politics, Smith was elected to Congress from

Oregon's 2nd congressional district Oregon's 2nd congressional district is the largest of Oregon's six districts, and is the seventh largest district in the nation. It is the second-largest congressional district in the nation that does not cover an entire state. The district ...

in 1982. The district's incumbent, freshman Republican

Denny Smith Dennis Alan "Denny" Smith (born January 19, 1938) is an American businessman and former United States congressman from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he served in the Air Force before working in the airline industry and taking over t ...

(no relation), opted to run in the newly created

5th district District 5, 5 District or 5th District may refer to: Europe * District 5 (Zürich) * District 5, Düsseldorf * V District, Turku * Districts of Malta#District 5, District 5, an electoral district of Malta * Districts of Malta#District 5 2, Distric ...

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. Upon his return, he was elected chairman of the

House Agriculture Committee The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of s ...

, 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. The wedding was attended by F. F. Montgomery, the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, among others. 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 Medford is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census on April 1, 2020, the city had a total population of 85,824 and a metropolitan area population of 223,259, making the Me ...

. 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.

Death

Smith died on September 21, 2020, in

at the age of 89.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Bob 1931 births 2020 deaths Willamette University alumni Speakers of the Oregon House of Representatives People from Burns, Oregon Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oregon Ranchers from Oregon Politicians from Portland, Oregon 20th-century American politicians