Elmo Everett Smith (November 19, 1909 – July 15, 1968) was an American politician and newspaper publisher who served as the 27th Governor of Oregon from 1956 to 1957.

A member of the Republican Party, Smith served two terms as mayor of Ontario from 1940 to 1943 before resigning to enlist in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

After returning to civilian life he severed as Ontario mayor for three more terms and was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1948.

[4] When it came to his politics, The Oregonian in an editorial wrote Smith "earned a reputation as a plain-speaking man who applied the rule of common sense to problems of government.

[9] Smith went on to work as an advertising manager at the Ontario Argus[6] before buying his own press to start a rival newspaper in 1936 called the Eastern Oregon Observer.

[3] Smith played a big part in securing government aid from the Works Progress Administration and Civil aviation authority to develop the Ontario Municipal Airport, making it one of the first airfields and civilian training programs at a small town in the U.S.

[16] Smith told the Associated Press "If the Japs, both alien and nationals, are a menace to the Pacific Coast safety unless they are moved inland, it appears downright cowardly to take any other stand than to put out the call, 'Send them along; we'll cooperate to the fullest possible extent in taking care of them.

[16] "Elmo Smith encouraged the community to be compassionate to us, to understand that they needed us," Japanese American George Iseri said.

"[18] Smith was re-elected mayor but resigned halfway through his second term to enlist in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War.

Smith, dubbed the "Flying Mayor," was named commander of eastern Oregon units of the Civil Air Patrol on April 3, 1942.

[3] Smith returned to civilian life at the war's conclusion, but would continue to fly planes at campaign events.

[19] Upon returning to Ontario in March 1946, Smith resumed his role as publisher the Eastern Oregon Observer, which he had leased during his overseas deployment to Orval Thompson.

[19] In December 1946, Smith sold the Observer to Jessica Longston and Robert Pollock[22] and used the proceeds to purchase the Blue Mountain Eagle in 1948.

[25] Also of note, in July 1947, the City of Ontario under Smith issued and approved its first ever special tax levy.

[5] But before taking office he was immediately met with a large amount attention as he was one of four senators who hadn't yet expressed their support for one of two candidates for senate president, with one reporter writing, "Smith has been the victim of ear-bending telephone conversations which have kept the long lines humming out of John Day and Ontario.

Implementing the Motor Carrier Highway Transportation Tax Act was put to voters as a ballot measure.

In response, long haul truckers pushed for a competing ballot measure which would amend the Oregon Constitution to prohibit the weight-mile tax.

[34] He was expected to inherit the role of Oregon governor if incumbent Paul L. Patterson decided to run for the United States Senate in the 1956 election.

[36] Patterson announced his candidacy for the U.S. senate and two days later suffered a heart attack while meeting with political advisors in Portland.

[5] He owned a private plane but agreed not to fly it while in office, a concession to party leaders who recalled the 1947 Oregon Beechcraft Bonanza crash that killed three state officials.

[3] Upon taking the oaf of office, Smith immediately began campaigning for the 1956 Oregon gubernatorial special election.

He won the Republican primary against "token opposition"[3] but was defeated in his attempt to win the governorship in his own right and complete the last two years of Patterson's term.

[40] A few years later Smith returned to politics in a bid for the United States Senate seat opened by the death of Richard Neuberger in 1960.