Mississippi-St Francis-Cleburne County ArArchives Biographies.....Smith, Robert Lee ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/arfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Robert Sanchez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00027.html#0006574 August 3, 2009, 6:05 pm Source: See Full Citation Below Biography Author: S. J. Clarke (Publisher, 1922) ROBERT LEE SMITH. Robert Lee Smith, superintendent of the public schools of Leachville since June, 1920, was born May, 28, 1893, in Cleburne county, Arkansas, near Heber Springs. His father, Newton Alexander Smith, now deceased, was a farmer of Cleburne county who was born and reared, however, in Mississippi, whence he came to Arkansas in young manhood, arriving in 1875, at the age of twenty years. He married Frances Mitchell, who was born and reared in Faulkner county, Arkansas, near Conway, her parents having been among the pioneer settlers of that county. The marriage was celebrated near Conway, August 10, 1876. and they became the parents of nine children, six sons and three daughters. All are living with the exception of one of the daughters. Robert Lee Smith, who was the seventh in order of birth, began his education in the rural schools of Cleburne county, Arkansas, and afterward attended the Quitman high school and the Arkansas State Teachers' College. He also did summer work at the University of Arkansas and took up the teaching profession in 1911 at Oakgrove, this state. During the succeeding six years he taught in rural and high schools of Faulkner county and in 1917 became first assistant principal and athletic coach of the Quitman high school, serving for one year. On the 14th of July, 1918, he entered the service of the government in connection with the World war, occupying a clerkship in the camp personnel office of the Motor Transport Division at Camp Holabird, Baltimore, Maryland. He joined the army at New Orleans and went from there to Atlanta, Georgia, and afterward to Maryland, remaining in the service until March 8, 1919. Mr. Smith then returned to Arkansas and in June, 1919, was elected superintendent of the high school at Palestine, St. Francis county, Arkansas, where he remained for a year. He came to Leachville in 1920 as superintendent of schools and is still serving in this position, being at the head of the Agricultural high school, which is a consolidated rural high school, having a modern building and splendid equipment. The attendance at the school under his direction has increased twenty-five per cent. He has introduced many improvements and progressive methods and is making the school thoroughly modern in every particular. He belongs to the Arkansas State Teachers Association and the Mississippi County Teachers Association, and served as president in 1916 of the Faulkner County Contest Association, which was organized in Faulkner county, being the youngest incumbent in that position. Mr. Smith is now engaged in securing a higher education at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana. On the 9th of August, 1919, Mr. Smith was united in marriage at Quitman, Arkansas, to Miss Elva DeJarnatt of that place. Their religious faith is indicated by their membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, South. They are prominent in the social circles of the city in which they live, the hospitality of the best homes being freely and cordially extended to them. In his professional career Professor Smith has made steady progress, actuated by a laudable ambition and high ideals, and the various schools under his control have made substantial advancement. Additional Comments: Citation: Centennial History of Arkansas Volume II Chicago-Little Rock: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company 1922 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ar/mississippi/bios/smith380bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/arfiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb