Sam Smith was the first African-American person to be elected to the Seattle City Council in 1968 and was on the Council until 1991, chairing many committees and serving as Council President from 1974-1979 and 1986-1989. Smith also served in the Washington State Legislature for five terms, beginning with his election from the 37th district in 1958. He was born on July 21, 1922 in Gibsland, Louisiana but was stationed in Seattle during WWII, and returned to earn his bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Washington. Smith also worked at Boeing for almost 17 years, before entering politics.

In this photograph, Smith poses with four of his five sons, gathered around an adding machine. Standing in the back are twins Ronald and Donald, age 15, standing in front of the twins is Stephen K. Smith II, age 11, and seated is Anthony, age 16. Not pictured are his older son Carl and daughter Amelia. Ronald Clayton Smith (1952-2012) attended Dartmouth and received his PhD in Education Philosophy from the University of Washington, where he worked for 26 years. Donald Clayton Smith (1952-2015), Ronald's twin, also attended Dartmouth, and worked at PACCAR in Seattle for over 40 years. Anthony Everett Smith (1951-2013), worked at Boeing for 26 years, as well as the Mount Zion Baptist Church.

Handwritten on verso: Sam Smith - Standing L-R: Donald-15, Stephen-11, Ronald-15. Seated at adding machine- Anthony - 16.

Caption information sources: "Smith, Sam (1922-1995)," by Mary Henry, HistoryLink.org Essay 63; "Sam Smith's Values Live On In His Children," The Seattle Daily Times, May 18, 1997, p. L3; "Obituary Anthony Everett Smith," The Seattle Daily Times, Dec. 22, 2013; "Obituary Ronald Clayton Smith Ph.D," The Seattle Daily Times, Mar. 27, 2012; "Obituary Donald Clayton Smith," The Seattle Daily Times, Mar. 8, 2015.