Andrew Smith, phone exec, boosted schools and community
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In 1951, Andrew V. Smith, the son of a hatchery manager at Maupin, Ore., landed a job as a switchboard operator at the Portland office of Pacific Northwest Bell.
Twenty-eight years later, Smith was president of Pacific Northwest Bell, heading a telecommunications giant that spanned three states and employed thousands. He considered governors and business magnates his friends, but he never lost respect for the people who worked under him.
"He remembered people's names, and it didn't matter if you were an elevator operator or a union leader. He treated people well," said his wife of 58 years, LaVonne.
Mr. Smith died of pancreatic cancer Feb. 13. He was 76.
Born in Roseburg, Ore., Mr. Smith soon moved with his family to Maupin. After graduating from Oregon State University in 1950, Mr. Smith sought a job at the telephone company. "There was a professor at OSU who liked the telephone company and what it did for people, so he took an interest in it," his wife said.
Mr. Smith moved quickly through the ranks, becoming vice president of Oregon operations before being named company president in the late 1970s. His territory included Washington, Oregon and parts of Idaho.
A moderate Republican, Mr. Smith was active in state politics and encouraged his staff to consider public service.
Dick Davis, who worked as an assistant vice president for the company before joining the administration of Gov. Booth Gardner, said Mr. Smith was a huge supporter of his career.
"Andy was a thoughtful, energetic person who had a concern for people," he said. "He treated people well."
Getting his employees interested in politics also served a practical purpose. In the mid-1980s, lobbyists for PNB determined that 85 percent of the bills considered by the Legislature had some effect on the company. PNB supported a host of civic projects during Mr. Smith's tenure, including the building of a downtown convention center and efforts needed to bring the NCAA basketball championships and NBA All-Star Game here.
Mr. Smith also contributed considerable time to community activities, particularly education.
In 1985, Mr. Smith was elected chairman of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce board of trustees. That same year, he joined the Seattle University board of trustees. He later became a University of Washington regent.
He was awarded a citation for his contribution to public education by the nonprofit Citizens Education Center Northwest in 1986. The Seattle Times included Mr. Smith in a 1987 list of the state's 20 most influential people.
After AT&T was broken up, Mr. Smith served as a vice president for US West before retiring in 1989.
"I think he represented an individual who had a commitment to the shareholders and to the employees and the community at large," said Davis.
Mr. Smith's daughter, Jan, is married to a veterinarian in Gresham, Ore. His son Jim works for US West in Denver as head of Dex, the Yellow Pages division.
Mr. Smith was a devoted fisherman and sailor, plying the waters of Puget Sound north to Canada. He played golf and enjoyed the bounties of his garden.
These were pastimes of enjoyment, because Mr. Smith didn't need anything to reduce stress in his life. In their nearly six decades of marriage, his wife never knew him to lose a night's sleep.
"I marveled at that, knowing all the turmoil the company was in," she said. "He was comfortable with himself and he had faith."
A memorial service will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 84th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 12th Street, Medina, at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Remembrances may be made to the Telephone Pioneers of America Foundation, 930 15th St., Denver, CO 80202, or Swedish Home Health and Hospice, 5701 Sixth Ave. S., Suite 504, Seattle, WA 98108.