Robert Freeman "Bob" Smith (born June 16, 1931) in Portland

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

, Oregon, is an American politician.

Early life

Smith grew up in Burns, Oregon

Burns, Oregon

Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,806.-History:Burns was established in the early 1880s and incorporated upon Harney county's creation in 1889...

. He attended Willamette University

Willamette University

Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...

 in Salem, Oregon

Salem, Oregon

Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...

, graduating in 1953 with an agricultural degree. He worked as a rancher until his election to the Oregon House of Representatives

Oregon House of Representatives

The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....

 in 1960.

Career

He served in the state House until he retired in 1972 to return to his ranch, and was Speaker of the House for the 1969 and 1971 sessions. Between 1965 and 1969, Smith was the president of the Oregon Public Land Commission.

Smith, a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

, was a United States Congressman from Oregon's 2nd congressional district

Oregon's 2nd congressional district

Oregon's 2nd congressional district is the largest of Oregon's five districts, and is the seventh largest district in the nation. The district covers roughly two-thirds of the state, east of the Willamette Valley...

 from 1983 to 1995. After a brief retirement, he returned to Congress in 1997. Wes Cooley

Wes Cooley

Wester Shadric "Wes" Cooley was a Republican politician and rancher from Oregon. He was a U.S. Representative from for the 1995–1997 term.-Early life:...

, the Republican who had succeeded Smith in the House, had been caught in several lies about his military service and Smith was persuaded to come out of retirement. The Republicans promised him the chairmanship of the House Agriculture Committee

United States House Committee on Agriculture

The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...

 if he won. He won easily, but only served one term before retiring for good.

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