Senator Ralph Tyler Smith

Ralph Tyler Smith (October 6, 1915 – August 13, 1972) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Illinois who served as a United States Senator from Illinois from 1969 until 1970. He was born in Granite City, Madison County, Illinois, on October 6, 1915. Raised in the industrial community of Granite City, he attended local schools before pursuing higher education in the state.

Smith graduated from Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1937. He then studied law at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, receiving his law degree in 1940. That same year he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of law. Early in his legal career he served as an attorney for the Chicago and Illinois Midland Railway Company (C. & I.M. Railway Company) in Springfield, Illinois, gaining experience in corporate and transportation law.

Shortly after the United States entered World War II, Smith enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve and was commissioned an ensign. During the war he served as an instructor in the Naval Midshipman School at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, training officer candidates for naval service. He was later assigned to sea duty aboard the USS PC-1182, a PC-461-class submarine chaser engaged in convoy escort operations. In 1945 he was sent to Guam to take command of the USS PGM-28, a PGM-9-class motor gunboat. Under his command, the vessel participated in minesweeping operations in the waters around Okinawa. At the end of his active naval service he held the rank of lieutenant and was released into inactive duty.

After World War II, Smith moved to Alton, Illinois, where he resumed the practice of law. He became active in local Republican politics and civic affairs, building a reputation that led to his election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1954. He took office in 1955 and was subsequently re-elected for seven succeeding terms, serving continuously in the Illinois General Assembly from 1955 through 1969. During his tenure in the state legislature he rose in the Republican leadership, becoming majority whip in 1963. In 1967 he was elected Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, a position he held from 1967 to 1969. As Speaker, he played a central role in managing the legislative agenda and overseeing the passage of state laws during a period of significant social and political change.

Smith’s state legislative service led to his appointment to the United States Senate. Following the death of Senator Everett M. Dirksen in 1969, Governor Richard B. Ogilvie appointed Smith to fill the vacant seat. He entered the Senate on September 17, 1969, and served until November 16, 1970. As a member of the Republican Party, Ralph Tyler Smith contributed to the legislative process during this single term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his Illinois constituents during a significant period in American history marked by the Vietnam War, domestic unrest, and evolving federal policy. His service in Congress thus occurred at a time of intense national debate over foreign and domestic affairs.

In 1970 a special election was held to fill the remainder of Dirksen’s term. Smith sought election in his own right but was defeated by Democrat Adlai E. Stevenson III, the son of former Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson II. The campaign attracted national political interest; among those working on Smith’s behalf was a 19-year-old Karl Rove, sent by the Utah College Republicans to assist with the campaign. Smith’s loss in the 1970 special election ended his brief tenure in the United States Senate.

After leaving the Senate, Smith returned to Alton and resumed the practice of law. He remained engaged in his profession until his death. Ralph Tyler Smith died in Alton, Illinois, on August 13, 1972. His career encompassed service in World War II, a lengthy and influential tenure in the Illinois House of Representatives—including two years as Speaker—and a period of service in the United States Senate during a pivotal era in American political history.