Sam Smith Departmental Correspondence

Series

Identifier: 4682-03

Staff Only

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence to and from City departments and regional agencies, including letters to Smith which he forwarded to relevant departments for their response. The largest body of material relates to utilities, public works, parks, and public safety. The vast majority of the correspondence comprises constituent regarding charges of racial discrimination, complaints against the Seattle Police Department, issues related to utility billing, and the discontinuation... of utility services. In some cases, the original correspondence went to another official or directly to a specific department which in turn forwarded a response to Smith because it was felt that he would have a particular interest in the issue. Files are arranged alphabetically by department. The records for 1986-1987 are missing.

Dates

Creation: 1984-1991

Creator

Seattle (Wash.). City Clerk (Organization)
Smith, Samuel J., 1922-1995 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access note

Records are open to the public.

Biographical Note

Sam Smith was born on July 21, 1922 in Gibsland, Louisiana, the son of a Baptist minister. In 1942, he was drafted and stationed in Seattle, prior to serving in the South Pacific theater during World War II. After his tour of duty, Smith returned to Seattle to attend college. He earned a bachelor's degree in social science from Seattle University and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Washington; he also did graduate work in economics... and political science at the University of Washington.

Smith went to work for the Boeing Company in 1952 where he was employed for nearly 17 years. He was elected to the Washington State Legislature in 1958, representing the 37th District for five consecutive terms. The high point of his legislative career was the State's passage of the Open Housing Act in 1967.

Smith ran for and was elected to the Seattle City Council in 1968; he was the first African-American to serve on the City Council. During his 24 years on the Council, Smith chaired the Public Safety Committee (1968-1973, 1978-1981), Housing and Human Services Committee (1982-1985), Labor Committee (1988-1989), and the Utilities Committee (1990-1991). He served as Council President in 1974-1977 and 1986-1989.

During Smith's years on the City Council, he championed causes such as local open housing; youth employment; juvenile crime prevention; and racial, religious, and economic equity. The outspoken Smith was less concerned with consensus than the construction of a legislative majority. He was often heard to remark of the nine-member City Council, "Five votes is policy."

Sam Smith was defeated for reelection in 1991 by Sherry Harris. Following a long battle with illness, he died in November of 1995.