Thomas Francis Xavier Smith (July 5, 1928 – May 31, 1996) was a reformist politician and author. He served as mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, from 1977 to 1981.

Career

Smith was affectionately known as "The Mouth That Roared" due to his outspoken criticism of the political

cronyism Cronyism is the spoils system practice of Impartiality, partiality in awarding jobs and other advantages to friends or trusted colleagues, especially in politics and between politicians and supportive organizations. For example, cronyism occurs ...

and corruption for which

Hudson County Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

had long been infamous. Smith left the mayor's office for a bid for

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

in 1981, in which he finished sixth in a field of 13 candidates vying for the Democratic nomination, and was unsuccessful in a subsequent bid for the mayoralty of Jersey City in 1989.Goodnough, Abby
" Thomas Smith, 68, Ex-Jersey City Mayor, Dies"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', June 5, 1996. Accessed April 1, 2008. "During his term, he wrote "The Powerticians," a history of Hudson County politics peppered with his own recollections.... Known for his scrappiness, Mr. Smith once confronted President Jimmy Carter with demands for more urban aid, an encounter that inspired White House aides to call him "the mouth that roared." Smith wrote ''Powerticians'', a history of Jersey City politics and the attempts to remove the city from the grip of the political machine created by

Frank Hague Frank Hague (January 17, 1876 – January 1, 1956) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from 1917 to 1947, Democratic National Committeeman from New Jersey from 1922 until 1949, and Vice ...

political boss and sometimes mayor of Jersey City. The book was published by

Lyle Stuart Lyle Stuart (born Lionel Simon; August 11, 1922June 24, 2006) was an American author and independent publisher of controversial books. He worked as a newsman for years before launching his publishing firm, Lyle Stuart, Incorporated. A former pa ...

, Inc., of Secaucus, New Jersey, in 1982. ().

Personal life

Smith attended St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City. He was a star basketball player at

Saint Peter's College, New Jersey Saint Peter's University is a private Jesuit university in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded as Saint Peter's College in 1872 by the Society of Jesus. The university offers over 60 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 2,600 ...

, where he earned an undergraduate degree with a major in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and received a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

from Fordham University in

educational psychology Educational psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of human learning. The study of learning processes, from both cognitive and behavioral perspectives, allows researchers to understand individual differences in ...

. He was director of placement at St. Peter's and a vice president of

Hudson County Community College Hudson County Community College (HCCC) is a public community college in Hudson County, New Jersey. Locations The school's main campus is located in Jersey City, with several institutions tapered throughout Journal Square and nearby Bergen Squa ...

. Smith played for the New York Knicks briefly in 1951. Smith died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

in 1996, and is buried in

Holy Name Cemetery, Jersey City Holy Name Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery in Jersey City, New Jersey administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. It was established in 1866 and at the end of calendar year 2002 has accepted 264,984 burials. The cemetery parcel ...

References

Bibliography

External links

* 1928 births 1996 deaths Basketball players from Jersey City, New Jersey New York Knicks draft picks Sportspeople from Jersey City, New Jersey Saint Peter's Peacocks men's basketball players American athlete-politicians Deaths from cancer in New Jersey New Jersey Democrats Writers from Jersey City, New Jersey Burials at Holy Name Cemetery (Jersey City, New Jersey) 20th-century American politicians American men's basketball players {{NewJersey-mayor-stub

Career

Personal life

See also

References

Bibliography

External links