FILE NUMBER........

Whereas, Nevadans were deeply grieved to learn of the recent passing

of Arthur M. "Art" Smith, Jr. on April 3, 1999; and

Whereas, Arthur M. Smith, Jr. was born in Providence, Utah, on
May 2, 1922; and

Whereas, Art Smith grew up in Sparks and began his career as a home

-delivery carrier for the Reno Evening Gazette during the Great Depression

era of the 1930s and generously contributed his earnings to his family; and

Whereas, Art Smith graduated from Sparks High School in 1940 and,

at the age of 19 years, began as a file clerk with the Sparks branch of First

National Bank; and

Whereas, When the United States entered World War II in 1941, Art

Smith, who had finished his first year at the University of Nevada, Reno,

left school to serve his country as a torpedo plane pilot in the United States

Navy; and

Whereas, After the war, Art Smith moved to Las Vegas where he

began his banking career as a teller with the Bank of Nevada in Las Vegas,

and within just 14 years, at the young age of 37 years, he became the

president of the Bank of Nevada, the youngest chief executive of a major

bank in America at that time; and

Whereas, Eight years later, Art Smith was appointed President of this

state’s largest financial institution, First National Bank, and assumed the

additional role of chairman in 1969; and

Whereas, Art Smith was highly respected nationally and assumed a

leadership role with the American Bankers Association which comprised

approximately 15,000 commercial banks; and

Whereas, Art Smith was one of five persons named by the United

States Comptroller of the Currency to perform a continuing review of

banking procedures and policies; and

Whereas, In 1967, Governor Paul Laxalt appointed Art Smith as a

regent of the University of Nevada, and he also served as a regent of Santa

Clara University in California; and

Whereas, In 1984, Art Smith retired as President and Chairman of First

Interstate Bank of Nevada; and

Whereas, Until his death, Art Smith was a trustee of the William M.

Keck and the Donald W. Reynolds foundations, two of the nation’s largest

charitable organizations; and

Whereas, Art Smith served as Chairman of the Clark County Airport

Board, the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of

Northern Nevada and the Sierra, as President of the Nevada Bankers

Association and Western States Bankcard Association, on the Board of

Directors for the John Deere Insurance Group and Circus Circus

Enterprises, Inc., as Director for MasterCard International, Holiday Inn and

Harrah’s Corporation and as a board member of the Western Asset

Management, Southern Nevada Industrial Foundation, Mountain States

Legal Foundation and Golden Nugget of Las Vegas; and

Whereas, Art Smith was also a trustee of Ducks Unlimited/Nevada, a

member of the Prospectors Club, Kerak Shrine Temple, and the Las Vegas

and Hidden Valley Country Clubs, a lay member of the board of Saint

Mary’s Regional Medical Center and President of the Nevada Area Council

of Boy Scouts of America and the University of Nevada Wolf Club; and

Whereas, Tom King, Director of the University of Nevada Oral

History Program, interviewed Art Smith and in 1996 published a chronicle

of his colorful life in the autobiography, Let’s Get Going; and

Whereas, Throughout his life, Art Smith was recognized for his

remarkable civic and business achievements, but most important to him was

his family as evidenced by his marriage to Charlotte Campbell, a union of

love and friendship for 52 wonderful years; and

Whereas, Art Smith is survived by his wife, Charlotte, daughters,

Barbara Smith Campbell of Reno and Deborah Smith Castello of Los

Gatos, California, sons, Blake Smith and Arthur "Art" Smith III of Reno

and 10 grandchildren; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly

Concurring, That the members of the 70th session of the Nevada

Legislature offer their sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the

family and friends of Arthur M. "Art" Smith, Jr., a gracious man who left a

rich legacy that will long be remembered by the residents of the State of

Nevada; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a copy

of this resolution to Art Smith’s beloved wife, Charlotte.

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