Plácida García Smith (August 7, 1896 – July 17, 1981) was an American educator, non-profit director, and community organizer.
[4] In 1924, García went to study at the University of Utah, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish language with a minor in sociology on a teaching fellowship.
[4] García Smith began volunteering as a social worker at the Friendly House, a center that helped immigrants adapt to America, learn English, and train for jobs.
[2][3] García Smith implemented federal relief programs and domestic training classes to create employment avenues for women.
[3] García Smith helped immigrants, especially women, find jobs and provided childcare for young children.
[5] As the Friendly House director, García Smith also worked with Father Emmet McLoughlin to establish a free clinic for minority women of south Phoenix.
In the 1930s, García Smith helped create the Southside Improvement Organization, which worked to secure parks and pools from the government.
[3] As director of the Friendly House during the Great Depression, García Smith had coordinated repatriating Mexican families in an effort to address the economic crisis.
While their efforts were unsuccessful, in 1946, Mexican American veterans convinced the Tempe Chamber of Commerce to withdraw their support of the policy.