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| Affiliation | Republican |
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| Name | William E. Smith |
| Address |
Florence, Alabama , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | [Link] |
| Born |
Unknown
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| Contributor | User 490 |
| Last Modifed | User 490
Nov 26, 2008 09:50pm |
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| Info | The movie, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, tells the story of the idealistic and civic-minded Jefferson Smith (played by Jimmy Stewart) who goes to Washington to serve in Congress. Mr. Smith resists corruption and holds steadfast to his values and beliefs to succeed. Similarly, the plight of Alabama’s government, which is being steered by the stronghold of special interest groups, demands we send our Mr. Smith to Montgomery.
William Smith will use the same courage to uphold our values, morals, and beliefs. It is time to send someone who has no hidden agenda and who believes in representing the will of the people. William Smith is not seeking power for himself; he wants to empower the people and give them a voice in Montgomery. He doesn’t belong to any group trying to keep power and prosperity from the people. It is time for us to lead and not be left behind. It is time for our Mr. Smith.
Like the movie character, our Mr. Smith is new to politics but not new to us. William’s family roots in Lauderdale County date back to the 1820s. His family’s legacy of service includes A.W. Todd and Eugene Waldrep, who both represented Northwest Alabama in the state legislature. Todd, the youngest (1954) and the oldest (1990) elected Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries in Alabama history, was responsible for much of the four-lane development of Highway 43 in Northwest Alabama and the building of the Florence Coliseum. Their example encourages William to continue the tradition of giving back to one’s community. William’s parents, Bill and Christine Smith of Florence, served this area’s youth as educators. His father is a former head basketball and baseball coach at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia. Bill later served as the Juvenile Probation Officer of Lauderdale County and Attendance Supervisor for the Florence City Schools from 1969 until his retirement in 1994. William’s mother, Christine Waldrep Smith, was a public school teacher for over thirty years at Blake Elementary School in Sheffield as well as Appleby, Weeden, and Hibbett schools in Florence.
William attended Gilbert, Powell, Appleby, Bradshaw, and UNA. He played football, Little League baseball, and basketball (under Eddie Frost) and was a scout. In college, he was a newspaper columnist and a student government representative. He worked throughout college, earning his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees, while facing the personal hardship of open-heart surgery. William went on to earn his law degree from Cumberland School of Law. He studied Comparative Law and Government, which enabled him to travel to Eastern Europe shortly after the Berlin Wall fell. The defeat of communism is a stark reminder of the cost of freedom, and this courage to stand for liberty inspired William to fight for ideas, to fight for change. He strives to share the opportunities of freedom. After graduation, William returned to Florence to be a lawyer for the people.
However, William Smith isn’t just a lawyer; he is an author, publisher, teacher, and civic leader. His writings have appeared in The Alabama Lawyer, Alabama Arts, First Draft, and the Times Daily. He is the author of Leo’s Tale: University of North Alabama Trivia. He published the Shoals Church Directory, which assisted prospective residents in their search for a spiritual family in Florence. William has served as a substitute teacher at Hibbett and Weeden as well as adjunct professor of business law at Northwest Shoals and UNA. He is president of the local bar association and the UNA Alumni Association, and he is vice-president of the UNA Sportsman’s Club, where he personally raised over $25,000.
William serves on the Board of Directors for the YMCA, the Florence Historical Board, and the Music Preservation Society, which sponsors the W.C. Handy Festival. He is a member of the Rotary Club and a former board member of Rape Response. William is serving his second term as President of the Tennessee Valley Historical Society and editing their forthcoming journal featuring local historical markers and landmarks. The journal will assist local tourism agencies in promoting this area. In addition to his community service, William is actively involved in his church, Highland Baptist Church, where he serves as a youth basketball coach and is active in mission work.
William is proud of his efforts to honor T. S. Stribling and John McKinley. The Stribling Celebration honors the work of the late Florence native and UNA alumnus who earned international acclaim as a Pulitzer Prize winner while raising funds for the endowed Stribling scholarship at UNA. William was instrumental in bringing the nation’s two largest collections of Stribling’s works to UNA’s Collier Library and the Florence Public Library. While president of the McKinley Young Lawyers of the Shoals, William led the effort to name the federal post office and courthouse after the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Florence founder, John McKinley. These accomplishments demonstrate William’s desire to instill pride in our community and highlight the achievements of this area’s residents.
William Smith’s personal set backs, including open-heart surgery and being the victim of an accidental shooting, make him a candidate who has experienced and understands the financial woes of small business owners and local laborers who are without jobs. Like the movie, our Mr. Smith will challenge those who want to protect their power in Montgomery. Montgomery won’t change Mr. Smith; our Mr. Smith will change Montgomery. This seat is not just open - it is open for change.
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