Joseph Thomas Smitherman (December 24, 1929 – September 11, 2005) was an American politician who served more than 35 years as mayor of Selma, Alabama.

Smitherman worked as a railroad brakeman before joining the United States Army during the Korean War.

A year later he returned to office, defeating Mayor Morgan in a three-way race.

[1] At the time of the Selma march he was considered a moderate and not close to Judge James Hare or to Sheriff Jim Clark.

[1][4] He later stated that he had always been racially tolerant and that it was only the political climate around him that required him to work against the civil rights movement but that he had really been in favor of change.