Lorenza Oscar Smith, M. D. The professional career of Doctor Smith has been attended by several distinctions and well earned honors that make him conspicuous as a citizen of Eastern Kentucky. For a number of years, he has been interested in military affairs, has a record of service as a medical officer in France, is a Major of the Kentucky National Guard, and a leader in the public health movement. He represents an old Kentucky family but was born in Campbell Co., TN, April 6, 1878. His great-grandfather, James Smith, was a native of Virginia and a pioneer farmer and merchant at Newcomb, Tennessee. The grandfather of Doctor Smith, was Calvin Smith, who was born in Whitley County, Kentucky, in 1835, and died at Barbourville, this state, in 1888. He was a man of talents, was a minister of the Baptist Church, a public school teacher, spent most of his active life in Campbell County, Tennessee and Whitley County, Kentucky, and owned a large amount of land in Tennessee in Campbell County and Knox County, Kentucky. He married Rebecca Pennington, who was born in Kentucky in 1837 and died at Barbourville in 1888, the same year as her husband. Uriah P. Smith, father of Doctor Smith, was born in Whitley County, Kentucky, in 1857 and has lived in that county with the exception of a few year in Campbell County, Tennessee. Following the example of his father, he has always manifested a keen interest in books and literature, and other subjects outside his province. For years he had been a student of both the practical and scientific side of agriculture and animal husbandry and he was regarded as one of the ablest farmers and stockmen in Whitley County, Kentucky. His home is near Williamsburg and he still gives his time and labors to his business. He is a Republican, a very active member of the Baptist Church, and is affiliated with the Masonic and Odd Fellow orders. Uriah Smith married Samantha Douglas, who was born in Campbell County, Tennessee, in 1853. Dr. Lorenza O. is their oldest child. Doctor Steely is a physician and surgeon at Corbin, Kentucky. Verna is the wife of an Oklahoma farmer and lives in Oklahoma City. Nannie is married to Everett Rawlings, and lives at Rockholds in Whitley County. Elizabeth is the wife of James Teague, founder of the Village of Teague, where he is a merchant and farmer. Calvin Nolan is an attorney and a city official in Detroit, Michigan. Belle is the wife of a farmer at Corbin, Kentucky. May lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, wife of George Petrey, a farmer. Minnie's husband is Charles Nicholson, a farmer and real estate broker at Williamsburg. Miss Flora is a teacher in the public schools of Whitley County. Grace at home with her parents, is the only one of this large family of eleven children who has not had some experience as a teacher. Lorenza Oscar Smith grew up on his fathers farm in Whitley County. He attended rural schools there and also Cumberland College at Williamsburg, and took his medical course in the Medical Department of Central University at Louisville, graduating M. D. in 1903. His enthusiasm for his vocation and his worthy ambition to excel has prompted him to utilize every opportunity for continued progress and improvement of his abilities. He did work in the New York Post Graduate Medical School in 1907 and 1909, attending surgical clinics in Chicago in 1914, has a diploma for special work in diseases of women, but the province of his practice is coming more and more to be concerned with general surgery. Beginning in 1903, Doctor Smith practiced at Rockholds 4 1/2 years and then was at Williamsburg until 1918. At the beginning of America's participation in the World War, he was the surgical member of the Whitley County Draft Board. In Oct 1917, he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps, had a period of training at Fort Oglethorpe, GA, and was soon transferred to Camp Devens, Mass, with the Three Hundred and First Field Artillery. In June 1918, he went overseas with this organization and at London was placed in detached service on the Gloucester Castle Hospital Ship, plying between South Hampton and La Havre. For three weeks, he was in Field Hospital #20 at Desouge, France, and then went to the front with the Three Hundred and First Field Artillery in the St. Mihiel sector. With the close of the war, Doctor Smith, returned and was mustered out at Camp Taylor, April 11, 1919. On resuming his civilian duties, he located at Harlan, where he has an extensive general medical and surgical practice. He is acting assistant surgeon of the United States Public Health Service in charge of Hospital Unit #65 at Harlan. Since the War, he organized Company C at Harlan and was a factor of the organization of the First Battalion, One Hundred and Forty-Ninth Infantry, Kentucky Nation Guard, in September, 1920, and is Major commanding the battalion. He organized and was first commander of Harlan Post, #54, American Legion. He has served as Health Officer of Whitley County, is a member of Harlan County, Kentucky State and American Medical Associations. He is a Republican, and while at Williamsburg, was elected a member of City Council. Doctor Smith is Baptist, was elected with election as the second master of Rockholds Lodge #795, F. and A. M.; is affiliated with London Chapter #103, R. A. M.; London Commandery #33, K. T.; London Council #60, R. & S. M.; and Kosair Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Louisville. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Improved Order of Red Men. Doctor Smith's offices are the entire second floor of the New Brock Building. Taken from "The Story of Kentucky", pages 383-384