A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of john mcneill smith, Jr., former member of the general assembly.
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., was born on April 9, 1918, in Robeson County, to Dr. John McNeill Smith, Sr., and Roberta Olivia Andrew Smith; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., attended the Rowland Public Schools and earned an A.B. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1938 and a law degree from Columbia University in 1941; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., served in the United States Navy during World War II from 1941 to 1945, achieving the rank of Lt. Commander; and
Whereas, after serving in the military, John McNeill Smith, Jr., worked as an attorney for more than 50 years in the City of Greensboro and became well known for his work in the areas of civil rights and liberties; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., served his profession in many capacities, serving as chair of the Individual Rights Section of the American Bar Association, chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Section on Constitutional Law, chair of the Committee on Constitutional Integrity, and as a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States Court of Appeals, International Association of Insurance Counsel, and the American Judicature Society; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1970 and, on December 31, 1971, was appointed by Governor Robert W. Scott to fill a vacancy in the North Carolina Senate; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., served with distinction three additional terms in the Senate during the 1973, 1975, and 1977 sessions of the General Assembly; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., made significant contributions as chair of the North Carolina State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, director of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Downtown Improvement Committee, president of the American Freedom Association, chair of the Southeastern World Affairs Institute, president of the American Business Club, and director of the Excellence Fund for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hayes‑Taylor YMCA and the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Outward Bound School and was a member of several other organizations, including Delta Kappa Epsilon and Phi Delta Phi fraternities; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., made significant contributions as a member of the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research from 1980 to 1992 and as the chair of the North Carolina Board of Ethics from 1980 to 1984; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., received recognition in the National Law Journal as one of the 100 most influential attorneys in the United States in 1985 and was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Greensboro Bar Association in 2000; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., was honored by the North Carolina Bar Association in 2006 when the Constitutional Rights and Responsibilities Section established an award in his honor that is given "to a person who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the ideals embodied in the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of North Carolina"; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., was active in the religious affairs of his community, serving as president of the Greensboro Association of Churches and Synagogues, vice president of the North Carolina Council of Churches, chair of the Ecumenical Affairs Commission and Sunday school teacher for the West Market Street United Methodist Church, and a lifelong member of the Rowland United Methodist Church; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., died on January 15, 2011, at the age of 92; and
Whereas, John McNeill Smith, Jr., was married to the late Louise Huske Jordan Smith and is survived by four children: Louise Jordan Smith Nichols; Anne Talbott Smith Cole; John McNeill Smith, III; and Eleanor Huske Smith; seven grandchildren; and five great‑grandchildren; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly expresses its appreciation for the life and accomplishments of John McNeill Smith, Jr., and for the service he rendered the nation, the State of North Carolina, and his community.
 SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its deepest sympathy to the family of John McNeill Smith, Jr., for the loss of a beloved family member.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of John McNeill Smith, Jr.,
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.