Stanford (Stan) Sidney Smith was born October 20, 1923, in Denver, Colorado, the son of rancher Frank Jay Smith and Lelah Nell Beamer Smith. He was reared on the family ranch in Hot Springs County where he graduated from Hot Springs County High School in Thermopolis in 1941. From 1941 to 1942, Smith attended the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. From 1942 to 1943, he was enrolled at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. In 1943, he was admitted to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland where he graduated with the class of 1947 earning a degree in engineering.

Smith’s 11-year naval career included assignments as the engineering and commanding officer of various vessels including duty on a minesweeper during the Korean War for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. He returned to the Naval Academy in 1952 as an instructor in marine engineering from 1952, a position he held for two years.

On December 25, 1946, Stan Smith married Harriet Eleanora Holdredge, a Wyoming native (born in Thermopolis on June 6, 1923). The marriage ceremony was held in La Jolla, California, and the couple repeated their vows in Thermopolis on February 11, 1947.

Smith resigned from the Navy in 1954 and he and Harriet returned to Hot Springs County where he entered the livestock business. Their ranching operation involved raising both cattle and sheep.

Smith began his career in public service in 1968 when he was elected Hot Springs County Commissioner. He was also active in the leadership of various organizations, including the wool growers. Smith was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives in 1974, serving one term. From 1976 to 1982, he served in the Wyoming State Senate.

He was elected to his first term as State Treasurer in 1982. In 1986, Stan was the first person re-elected to the office of State Treasurer in Wyoming, made possible by passage of a constitutional amendment allowing for the treasurer to serve more than one consecutive term. He won additional elections in 1990 and 1994, serving a total of 16 years as State Treasurer.

Stan and Harriet Smith were parents of four children, Barton Jay, Monta Jean, Franklin Stanley and Sherman Waggener.

Smith did not seek reelection in 1998. He retired from public service in 1999 and died on November 15, 2003, in Sun City, Arizona.

Additional Resources

•  Stanford S. "Stan" Smith obituary, Casper Star Tribune, 11/21/2003