After graduating from Washington & Lee, he did postgraduate work at Yale University, studying constitutional law under William Howard Taft.
At the outbreak of the U. S. entrance into World War I, Smith enlisted in the U. S. Army as private.
[2][3] In 1924 he ran uncontested for one of two seats to the Arizona State Senate from Pima County in the Democrat's primary.
[4] He and his fellow Democrat, T. W. Donnelly defeated their lone Republican opponent, John E. Van Buskirk, in the general election in November.
[6] In November 1928, he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Louis R. Kempf as Pima County Attorney.