Smith, Preston, 1912-

Born in 1912 in Williamson County, Texas, E. Preston Smith moved with his family to a farm 14 miles west of Lamesa in 1923. He graduated from Lamesa High School in 1930 and received his B.B.A. from Texas Technological College in 1934. Smith married Ima Smith in 1935 and the two became parents of two children. In 1944, Smith was elected to the Texas House of Representatives where he served three terms. He moved to the Texas Senate in 1956, and served three terms there as well.

In 1962 Smith was elected Lieutenant Governor, and in 1968, Preston Smith was elected the Governor of Texas. His professional accomplishments include the establishment of more state universities and medical and dental facilities; the implementation of the Criminal Justice Council for the prevention of crime; the initiation of the first comprehensive drug abuse program; an Early Childhood Development Program; and the establishment of the Texas Urban Development Commission. The Smiths returned in 1973 to Lubbock, where Preston is active in banking, real estate, and oil and gas interests.