In the 1920s, her family moved to Fort Worth where she met her future husband, Wade Austin Smith.
Knowing it wasn't a cardinal, she became intrigued and began conducting research at the local library to identify the species.
On October 4, 1953, Jessie Maye Smith published her first "Birds and Watchers" article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
For over 21 years, she would continue to write an article for each Sunday issue of the newspaper, covering topics from Texas birding to ornithology throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and Central America.
In the fall of 2005, the estate of Jessie Maye Smith, deeded the tear-sheets of these articles to the University of Texas at Arlington where they are held in the Library's Special Collections.