[4] His early career was as the Jefferson County attorney, but only briefly before stopping to participate in World War I.
[6] Smith then retired January 3, 1957 for health reasons with the spare court position being filled by Fred Hall.
[4] One of Justice Smith's most important decisions while on the Court was issued in 1949 in Webb v. School District, 167 Kansas Reports 395,[8] The Webb case has been referred to as one of the key cases that served as a "prelude" to the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education decision, where the U.S. Supreme Court held that the concept of "separate but equal" was unconstitutional.
In Webb, the Kansas Supreme Court held that equal school facilities had to be for all children regardless of skin color.
Colored and white pupils must be permitted to attend either school, depending on convenience, or some other reasonable basis.