Louis P. Smith, Gun Co. Chairman, Former Mayor, Dies at 86
The Ithaca Journal, Dec 5 1957, P. 1, Col. 1, with photo
'Louis P, Smith, chairman of the board of the Ithaca Gun Co., twice mayor of Ithaca, and a noted sportsman, died at his home, 110 Hanshaw Rd., Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 4, 1957. He was 86 years old and had been in poor health for several years.
He was "Lou" Smith to countless friends and acquaintances during his 68 years in Ithaca.
He was born in Center Lisle, Broome County, May 14, 1871, the son of Leroy Henry and Eunice Howland Smith. His father came to Ithaca in 1881 and was one of the founders of Ithaca Gun, serving as its president until his death in 1902.
"Lou" Smith came to Ithaca when he was 18 years old. He went to work for the Gun Co, at 7½ cents an hour, became a success; ful salesman of its shotguns, and held the offices of vice president and sales and advertising man-ager. In 1946 he was elected president, succeeding George Livermore, who became chairman of the board. Ten years later he relinquished the presidency and took the board chairmanship. His son, Sheldon, was elected president.
Mr. Smith served the community in many ways. He entered public life as the appointee of Ithaca's first mayor, Randolph Horton, to the city's first Board of Public Works, serving a five-year term.
In 1921 he was the choice of the Republican Party to run for mayor, to succeed the late Edwin C, Stewart. He was endorsed by the Democratic City Committee, He served one term.
In 1933 he was called upon again. In the November election he defeated Herman Bergholtz, the
Democratic incumbent, 3,553 to 2,624. Again he served only one term in City Hall.
In many civic enterprises, some of them involving the raising of funds, he was one of the community's leaders. He was chairman of the committee for four successful War Loans in World War I. He called the meeting of citizens at which the Community Chest was organized. He was chairman of the committee of Ithacans which raised an endowment fund for Cornell University in 1926.
-- On Hospital, Other Boards --
He was a trustee of Tompkins County Memorial Hospital and suggested a campaign to have Ithacans remember the hospital in their wills. He was the first commissioner of Boy Scouts and served for many years on the executive beard of Louis Agassiz Fuertes Council. He was a past president and life member of the Ithaca Rotary Club, a trustee of the Cornell Public Library Association, and president of the Chamber of Commerce for three terms. He was a member of the Finger Lakes State Parks Commission. He was chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ithaca College.
He was elected a director of the Tompkins County Trust Co. (then the Ithaca Trust Co.) in 1903 and served until 1952, when he was elected director emeritus.
He was instrumental in persuading the Odd Fellows to locate their state home on the Trumansburg Rd. He was a member of Ithaca Lodge 71. He was also a member of the Loyal Order of Moose.
In the Masonic order he rose to the 33rd degree in 1929. He joined Hobasco Lodge 716 Jan, 12, 1899, and was a member of Eagle Chapter 38, Royal Arch Masons, and St. Augustine Commandery. He was past potentate of Kalurah Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and Court 61, Royal Order of Jesters, in Binghamton. He was one of a committee of five which set up the financing and construction of the Masonic Temple here. He was also a member of the Temple's original board.
He held memberships in the Ithaca Automobile Club, the Armed Forces Advisory Committee of Ithaca, the American Ordnance Assn., and the DeWitt Historical Society.
-- Strong for Hunting, Fishing --
One of his great loves was the outdoors. In June, 1935, completing the second year of his second two-year term as mayor, he announced that he would not be a candidate for reelection, He said: "I want to devote time to my own interests and get away for occasional hunting and fishing trips." His classification in the Rotary Club was "Fox Hunter." It was a classification objected to by Rotary International, but upon the insistence of his fellow club members it was never seriously challenged, never changed.
"Lou" Smith hunted foxes in many places, with many friends.
He became the "foreman" of the Ben Welch Snowshoe Club, with headquarters in an old farm home in the Caroline hills just off Dusenberry Hollow. In the winter months for many years he and kindred souls gathered every other Sunday to hike, hunt, snowshoe, sing, and eat.
He was a past president of the New York State Sportsmen's Assn.
Mr. Smith is survived by two sons, Charles Leroy and Sheldon Monroe Smith, and five grandchildren, Sheldon Leroy Smith, Forrest Lee Smith, Sherry Lee Smith, Sheldon Monroe Smith Jr., and Eleanor Akin Smith Jr.
The funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the First Presbyterian Church, with the Rey. Walter A. Dodds, the pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Lake View Cemetery.'