Matthew John Smith (born July 17, 1941) is an American politician and lawyer in the state of Rhode Island.
Smith was born in Providence in 1941, the son of Irish immigrants.
[2] He worked as a professor and archivist at Providence College, and also co-authored a book on the history of Catholicism in Rhode Island.
[2] He served as Speaker of the House from 1980 to 1988, resigning his seat in 1988 upon being appointed as Clerk of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and Rhode Island court administrator.
[2] In addition, Smith was a member of the boards of the St. Joseph Hospital Corporation and Blue Shield of Rhode Island.