Smith, Elmo Everett, 1909-1968

Oregon governor Elmo Smith (1909-1968) was born in Colorado, moved to Idaho in 1922, and graduated from the College of Idaho in 1932.

Oregon governor Elmo Smith (1909-1968) was born in Colorado, moved to Idaho in 1922, and graduated from the College of Idaho in 1932.

He entered the advertising business and started an advertising newspaper in Ontario, Oregon. In 1936 he established the Eastern Oregon Observer in Ontario, later served as mayor of the town, and was elected to the Oregon Legislature in 1948. He served two terms as President of the Oregon Senate, and became governor upon the death of Paul Patterson in 1956. He held the office in 1957 and 1958 but was defeated for re-election. At the time of his death in 1968 he had an interest in four small community newspapers. He was married to Dorothy Leninger in 1932 and the couple had two children.