Smith County Historical Society Meeting 8/4/09

Sheriff J.B. Smith to Address the Historical Society

SMITH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.

MUSEUM & ARCHIVES • 125 SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE • TYLER, TEXAS 75702
903-592-5993 • http://www.smithcountyhistoricalsociety.org


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Sheriff J.B. Smith will give a presentation at the Smith County Historical Society’s August meeting. His talk will include a historic overview of the past jails of Smith County, as well as details of some early shoot-outs.

J.B. was raised in Arkansas with his five siblings. He served in the U.S. Navy, later becoming a San Diego police officer in 1965. In 1970 he became a Tyler police officer. J.B. has been continuously elected Smith County Sheriff since 1976. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas, is a graduate of the National F.B.I. Academy, and served as President of the Sheriffs Association of Texas from 2002 to 2003.

Very active in community service, J.B. serves on numerous Boards of Directors and was a co-founder of the East Texas Crisis Center. In recent years he co-authored the true crime book The Christmas Day Murders with Dana Adams, and they are currently working on a second book. He has become a popular public speaker, and SCHS looks forward to his presentation.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 4, at 7:00 pm in the Payne Auditorium on the second floor of the Carnegie History Center. Located at 125 South College Avenue in Tyler, the Carnegie History Center is the museum and archives for SCHS. Attendees should park on the street and enter the building through the north door, which faces the Bank of America drive-through bank. There is also a ramp for handicapped access at this door, as well as an elevator inside.

The Smith County Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1959 to discover, collect, and preserve the history of Smith County, Texas. SCHS meetings are always open free of charge to all interested members of the public. Various publications and photographs will be available for purchase at the event. For more information about this event or the Society, please e-mail info@smithcountyhistoricalsociety.org or call 903-592-5993.