Benton-Arkansas County ArArchives Biographies.....Smith, A. L. 
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Robert Sanchez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00027.html#0006574 July 23, 2009, 8:58 am

Source: Citation Appears Below
Author: S. J. Clarke

HON. A. L. SMITH.
    Hon. A. L. Smith, a member of one of the old and prominent families of
Arkansas which has long figured conspicuously in public affairs and in legal
circles of the state, is one of the leading attorneys of Siloam Springs and has
also represented his district in the state legislature. He was born in De Witt,
Arkansas, February 23, 1880, a son of L. C. and Elizabeth (Hill) Smith, the
former a native of Arkansas county, Arkansas, while the latter was born in
Charleston, South Carolina. They were married in Arkansas and for many years the
father has been numbered with the able and successful attorneys of De Witt,
Arkansas. His fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability, have called
him to public office and for five terms he served as sheriff, while tor two
terms he filled the office of judge of Arkansas county, making a most creditable
record in both connections. He was twice mentioned for governor of the state but
met defeat at the primaries. He is a democrat in his political views and a
leader in the ranks of the party and his religious faith is indicated by his
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, South. Mr. and Mrs. Smith became
the parents of seven children, of whom two survive: R. V., a well known planter
of Spiro, Oklahoma; and A. L., of this review. L. C. Smith's father, J. Floy
Smith, was also a native of this state and became a large slave-holder. He was a
son of Colonel James Smith, who served as a member of the first Arkansas senate.
The maternal grandfather, Alexander Hill, was a native of Mississippi and became
a captain in the Confederate army during the Civil war.

    In the pursuit of an education A. L. Smith attended the grammar and high
schools of De Witt, Arkansas, and the Normal School at Chillicothe, Missouri,
completing a law course at Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1911, at which time the degree
of LL. B. was conferred upon him. Previous to taking up his law studies he had
served for five years as cashier of a bank at Clarendon, Arkansas, and entered
upon the practice of his profession at Siloam Springs in 1911. He has been
admitted to practice in all the courts and has followed his profession in
western Arkansas and Oklahoma. While advancement at the bar is proverbially
slow, he has made substantial progress. He has built up a representative
clientage, connecting him with much of the important litigation tried in' the
courts of the district. Aside from his professional connections he has other
interests, having invested in farm lands in Benton county and also being a
director in the State Bank of Siloam Springs.

On the 22d of November, 1905, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Addie
Eleanor Branch, a native of Monroe county. Arkansas, and a daughter of William
W. Branch, who was born in Tennessee and came to Arkansas in 1S54, becoming one
of the pioneer settlers of the state. To this union have been born two children,
Marjorie Eleanor, and Arthur L., Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and his
fraternal connections are with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias, while he
is also identified with Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a college fraternity. He is a
stanch democrat in his political views and in 1920 was elected to represent his
district in the state legislature, in which he served for one session, being a
member of the committees on federal relations, education and corporations. On
the 12th of September, 1918, he enlisted for service in the World war and was
sent to the Officers Training School at Camp Pike. Arkansas, receiving his
discharge in December of that year. His time and attention are concentrated upon
his law practice, and in a profession demanding keen intellectuality and
individual merit he is making continuous progress, ranking with the leading
attorneys of Benton county.


Additional Comments:
Citation:
Centennial History of Arkansas
Volume II
Chicago-Little Rock: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
1922


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