Robert E. Smylie
| Robert Smylie | |
|---|---|
| 24th Governor of Idaho | |
|
In office January 3, 1955 – January 2, 1967 |
|
| Lieutenant |
Berkeley Larsen W. E. Drevlow |
| Preceded by | Len Jordan |
| Succeeded by | Don Samuelson |
| Attorney General of Idaho | |
|
In office November 24, 1947 – January 3, 1955 |
|
| Governor |
C. A. Robins Len Jordan |
| Preceded by | Robert Ailshie |
| Succeeded by | Graydon W. Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Eben Smylie October 31, 1914 Marcus, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 2004 (aged 89) Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Lucille Irwin (1907–2004) |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Education |
College of Idaho (BA) George Washington University (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Coast Guard
|
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Robert Eben Smylie (October 31, 1914 – July 17, 2004) was an American politician and attorney from Idaho. A member of the Idaho Republican Party, he served as the 24th Governor of Idaho for twelve years, from 1955 to 1967.
Born in Marcus, Iowa, Smylie graduated from high school in Cresco in 1932 at the height of the Depression. Offered a place to live by an uncle, he moved to Idaho to attend the College of Idaho in Caldwell. During the school year, he participated in debate, the yearbook, football, and student government, and hitchhiked back to Iowa in the summers.
After his graduation in 1938 he moved to Washington D.C., where he simultaneously clerked at the law firm of Covington Burling, was a U.S. Capitol policeman, and attended George Washington University Law School until his graduation in 1942. He married Lucile Irwin on December 4, 1943 and the couple had two sons.
Having begun practicing law in Washington, D.C., Smylie left his practice in 1942 to join the U.S. Coast Guard as a lawyer and was stationed in Philadelphia and the Philippines during World War II. He returned to his private practice in 1946.
In January 1947, Smylie became a deputy attorney general in Idaho, under newly elected Robert Ailshie. Later that year, Ailshie unexpectedly died of a heart attack at age 39 and Smylie was appointed attorney general at age 33 by Governor C. A. Robins. After he was elected to a full term in 1950, Smylie ran for governor in 1954, as the seat was not eligible for re-election at the time and was held by Republican Len Jordan. Starting with the 1946 election, Idaho changed from two-year to four-year terms for governor, but with the change it disallowed self-succession (re-election). Smylie was elected governor in 1954 and successfully lobbied the 1955 legislature to propose an amendment to the state constitution to allow gubernatorial re-election, which was approved by voters in the 1956 general election. Smylie was re-elected in 1958 and 1962. He was its first governor born in the 20th century.
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