J.D. Smith Middle School’s namesake was a dentist in Las Vegas’s formative years

It’s common for Clark County School District libraries, sports fields and schools to be named after people who contributed to the Las Vegas area in its formative years.

That tradition began in 1952 with the naming of J.D. Smith Middle School at 1301 E. Tonopah Ave.

“He was very active in education and politics,” said Les Smith Jr., J.D. Smith’s grandson. “He served with many organizations in Las Vegas and he was head of the draft board there for a couple of decades. He was a great man.”

J.D. Smith didn’t talk much about his accomplishments. Les found out through other family members.

“When I was with him, he was more interested in me and what I was up to,” Les Smith said.

Jay Dayton Smith was born March 22, 1895, in Monona, Iowa, about 200 miles northeast of Des Moines.. He and his younger brother Leslie were attending the University of Minnesota when the United States entered World War I. The brothers enlisted in the Marine Corps and served with the 2nd Division, 5th Regiment, of the American Expeditionary Forces. In June 1918, they fought in the Battle of Belleau Wood in France. This was considered an important battle that slowed Germany.

Late in the battle, J.D. Smith found his brother, who’d been killed by enemy gunfire. Years later, he named his son after his fallen brother.

J.D. Smith returned to finish his studies and received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. He started his first practice and married his first wife, Ruth. In 1927, he found out about a dental partnership available in Las Vegas.

A 1982 Las Vegas Review-Journal article noted that at the time, Smith had never heard of Las Vegas, but he was assured the town would grow. So he bought the practice at Fremont and First streets.

He had a Spanish colonial revival home built at 624 S. Sixth St. in 1931. After the couple divorced, Ruth lived there until her death in 1970. The home is still owned by the family and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“It’s a legal office now,” Les Smith Jr. said. “It’s been rented by the same attorney for more than 30 years.”

J.D. Smith became the 10th exalted ruler of the Las Vegas Elks in 1929 and was on the organization when it created the annual Helldorado event. In 1976 the Elks awarded him with a plaque.

He served twice as chairman of the Clark County Democratic Central Committee and spent 11 years on the Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners. He was a life member and president of both the Clark County and Nevada State Dental associations.

He became the first living person to have a building in the school district named after him because he was a member of the Board of Education of Las Vegas from 1935 to 1953 and eventually president of the board. It was named J.D. Smith Junior High School until 1992.

“It’s quite a distinction to be the first in the valley,” said Henry Rodda, principal of J.D. Smith Middle School. “We’re proud to honor his legacy …”

J.D. Smith died on Christmas Eve in 1984, just a few months short of his 90th birthday. Many school district buildings later were named for his friends and fellow leaders.

“K.O. Knudson was one of my grandpa’s best friends,” Les Smith said. “The town wasn’t so big back then. If you were anybody, you knew everybody else who was anybody.”

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.