[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 177 (Tuesday, December 8, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S8483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO JIM SMITH

 Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 
distinguished career of a great South Dakotan, Mr. Jim Smith.
  Jim was born in Aberdeen, SD, in 1930, and was raised in Pierre. He 
received his Bachelor of Science degree from the South Dakota School of 
Mines and Technology in 1952 before attending law school at George 
Washington University. While still in law school, Jim worked as an 
elevator operator in the U.S. Capitol until he became a legislative 
assistant to South Dakota Senator Karl Mundt. He eventually served as 
minority counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental 
Relations. Upon graduation from law school, Jim became the associate 
Federal legislative counsel at the American Bankers Association from 
1963 to 1968.
  From 1969 to 1973, Jim headed the Treasury Department's Office of 
Congressional Relations, completing his tenure as Deputy Undersecretary 
of the Department under three separate Secretaries. In 1971, Jim was 
awarded the Alexander Hamilton Award, the highest honor bestowed by the 
Treasury Department. He was appointed by President Nixon as the 23rd 
U.S. Comptroller of the Currency in 1973, where he served until the end 
of the Ford Administration. Jim returned to the Midwest in 1977 to 
serve as the Executive Vice President of the First Chicago Corporation.
  In 1980, Jim reconnected with his old friend, Charls E. Walker, from 
their days at the American Bankers Association. Jim joined Mr. Walker's 
consulting firm, Charls Walker Associates, later renamed Walker/Free 
Associates, until he formed The Smith-Free Group with Jim Free in 1995. 
For the past 35 years, Jim has advocated for a diverse range of issues 
before the Federal Government, including pro bono efforts on behalf of 
victims of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme.
  Jim came to Washington during President Eisenhower's administration, 
and his career has spanned 10 subsequent Presidents. His reputation as 
a modest, soft-spoken, and principled man is a testament to his South 
Dakota roots. He embodies the strong-willed, hard-working, and good-
natured characteristics that all South Dakotans share; and his life 
story proves the continued resilience of the American Dream.
  Jim is retiring to spend more time with his wife of 37 years, Karen, 
along with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I 
would like to thank him for his service to both South Dakota and the 
country and congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement.

                          ____________________