Smith later ran a number of businesses, including a Western apparel store and a firm that sold state records of new mothers to manufacturers of baby supplies.

American's owner, E. L. Cord, hired Smith to run the nationwide network based on his able management of the Southern operation.

[6] In the 1950s, he helped American become the first domestic jet carrier in the US by selecting the Boeing 707 aircraft, which came out months before its rival Douglas DC-8.

[8] In 1953, Smith was having dinner with a CBS radio executive who complained of the lack of advertisers willing to have their commercials aired in the middle of the night, even at reduced rates.

Smith struck a deal and bought the block of hours from 11:30 pm until 6:00 am exclusively for American and created the show Music 'Til Dawn.

[6] It was played on nine major CBS radio stations in American's network with classical, semi-classical, and easy listening music with only subtle advertising.

He agreed to return to American in 1973 for six months, following a period of corporate mismanagement and scandal, while the board of directors searched for a permanent replacement.

He was close friends with many prominent Texan politicians, including Lyndon B. Johnson, Jesse Jones and Sam Rayburn.

Smith's friendship with Lyndon Johnson was the principal reason for his accession to the Cabinet, and he became the U.S. Secretary of Commerce following the resignation of Alexander B. Trowbridge.

[6] This culture shock caused him to leave his post after only serving for 11 months and enter his first retirement, before being called back to American in 1973.

Manget explained their short lived marriage with, "I loved the man, but I can't be married to an airline.

[16] While living in New York City, Smith felt homesick for his native Texas and started collecting fine Western art.

[18] Smith donated a western oil painting The Romance Makers by Charles Russell to the University of Notre Dame and it is on the collection of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art.