Frank Ellis Smith (February 21, 1918 – August 2, 1997) was an American World War II veteran and politician who served six terms as a U.S. Representative from Mississippi from 1951 to 1962.

There, he was a student editor of the college newspaper, frequently writing from a liberal perspective about race relations, a controversial topic in Mississippi at the time.

Whitten won the race and Smith was subsequently appointed by President Kennedy to the governing board of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

[8] Smith had a more mainstream voting record on other issues important to his constituents, such as support for the cotton industry and federal flood control legislation.

He served as associate director of the Illinois State Board of Higher Education from 1973 to 1974 and was a visiting professor at Virginia Tech from 1977 to 1979.

Smith was elected life fellow of the Southern Regional Council in 1984 and remained active in local organizations until his death.