| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | (1898-10-18)October 18, 1898 Burlington, Iowa |
| Died: | June 3, 1967(1967-06-03) (aged 68) Los Gatos, California |
| Career history | |
As a staff member / executive: | |
| |
Graham Powell Smith (October 18, 1898 – June 3, 1967) was an American businessman sportsman and industrialist who was general manager of theDetroit Lions of theNational Football League (NFL) and vice president ofArlington Park.
Smith was born on October 18, 1898, inBurlington, Iowa to P. W. and Lina Lloyd (Patterson) Smith.[1] He served in theUnited States Marine Corps duringWorld War I.[2]
In 1927, Smith was elected vice president of the Pearsons-Taft Company and was put in charge of the company's new branch inNew York City.[3][4] In 1933, he was appointed receiver of Commonwealth Light & Power.[5] From 1934 to 1941 he was a vice president of F. C. G. Importers.[1]
In 1941, Smith was named general manager of theDetroit Lions.[6] He resigned shortly before the1942 NFL season to re-enter the Marine Corps. On December 2, 1942, he married Eleonore Rose Thompson ofChicago atMarine Corps Base Quantico.[7] In 1944 he was part of a group that includedBing Crosby and Frank Mandel (cousin of Lions ownerFred L. Mandel Jr.) that sought a National Football League franchise forLos Angeles.[8]
In 1944, Smith became vice president of Davis & Smith, a Chicago importer and distributor. The following year he became vice president and director of Indiana Steel Products.[1] In 1949 he was elected president of the newly formed Powell Announcer Co., which manufactured magnetic recording devices.[9] He also served as vice president of Arlington Park.[10]
Smith retired toLos Gatos, California, where he died on June 3, 1967.[11]
