Albert Lee Smith Jr. (August 31, 1931 – August 12, 1997) was an

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

politician who represented the 6th district 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

during the

97th Congress The 97th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1981 ...

(1981–1983).

Early life

Smith was born in 1931 in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

, Alabama. He attended public schools in

Jefferson County Jefferson County may refer to one of several counties or parishes in the United States, all of which are named directly or indirectly after Thomas Jefferson: *Jefferson County, Alabama *Jefferson County, Arkansas *Jefferson County, Colorado **Jeffe ...

and graduated from

Ramsay High School Ramsay High School is a four-year magnet high school in Birmingham, Alabama. It is one of seven high schools in the Birmingham City School System and one of three International Baccalaureate schools in the Birmingham metropolitan area. Originally ...

before he enrolled at Auburn University in

Auburn, Alabama Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama, with a 2020 population of 76,143. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. The Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA with a population o ...

."ROTC grads headed for varied careers"
''

The Birmingham News ''The Birmingham News'' is the principal newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States. The paper is owned by Advance Publications and was a daily newspaper from its founding through September 30, 2012. After that day, the ''News'' and its two ...

'', Birmingham, Alabama, 67th year, number 80, June 15, 1954, page 21. He graduated from Auburn in 1954 with a bachelor of science in agriculture and was commissioned an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diff ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

He served from 1954–56. He worked thereafter as an insurance agent before entering political life.

Politics

Smith was elected as a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

in 1968, 1972, and 1984. In 1978, Smith challenged 12-term Republican

John Hall Buchanan, Jr. John Hall Buchanan Jr. (March 19, 1928 – March 5, 2018) was an American politician who served as a Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965-1981, representing Alabama's 6th congressional district. Background A native of ...

in the primary for the Birmingham-based 6th District. Buchanan was one of the more moderate Republicans in the House, and Smith ran well to his right. Smith lost fairly handily, but took another run at Buchanan in 1980. With support from conservative Christian activists, Smith defeated Buchanan by a surprising 10-point margin. He then narrowly defeated Democrat Pete Clifford by three points. Smith voted for president Ronald Reagan's

Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (ERTA), or Kemp–Roth Tax Cut, was an Act that introduced a major tax cut, which was designed to encourage economic growth. The federal law enacted by the 97th US Congress and signed into law by US Preside ...

. Smith served only one term before being defeated by Democratic

commissioner

Ben Erdreich Benjamin Leader Erdreich (born December 9, 1938) is an American lawyer and former congressman from Alabama. Early life Erdreich was born in Birmingham, Alabama to an upper-middle-class family. He attended Yale University, graduating in 1960. He ...

. To date, Smith is the last Republican congressman to be unseated by a Democrat in Alabama. In 1984, Smith unsuccessfully ran for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

against incumbent Democrat

Howell Heflin Howell Thomas Heflin (June 19, 1921 – March 29, 2005) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States Senate, representing Alabama, from 1979 to 1997. Early life Heflin was born on June 19, 1921, in Poulan, Georgia. He ...

Private life

With his wife Eunie, Smith had three children and six grandchildren. In 2016, following the death of

Phyllis Schlafly Phyllis Stewart Schlafly (; born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart; August 15, 1924 – September 5, 2016) was an American attorney, conservative activist, author, and anti-feminist spokesperson for the national conservative movement. She held paleocon ...

, his widow Eunie Smith became President of the conservative campaign group

Eagle Forum Eagle Forum is a conservative interest group in the United States founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and is the parent organization that also includes the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the Eagle Forum PAC. The Eagle Forum h ...

.Eunie Smith bio
at eagleforum.org, accessed October 30, 2017

Later life

Smith remained active in a variety of conservative political causes until his death in 1997 at the age of sixty-five. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham.

References

External links

* * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Albert L. Jr. 1931 births 1997 deaths Politicians from Birmingham, Alabama Auburn University alumni Businesspeople from Birmingham, Alabama Military personnel from Birmingham, Alabama United States Navy officers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American politicians Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Birmingham, Alabama) Conservatism in the United States Ramsay High School alumni