Cyrus Rowlett Smith
Cyrus Smith was born on September 9, 1899, in Minerva Texas. Smith, who’s father left
the family when Smith was nine years old, grew up with his mother and 6 brothers. His mother
raised the family by teaching school and keeping boarders. Cyrus was the oldest of the children
and worked to help his mother. He worked as an office boy in Amarillo, Texas for a wealthy
cattle rancher. He had several other jobs after that before he dropped out of high school to take a
job as a bookkeeper for a small bank. He moved up and in 1919 he was working for the Texas
secretary of state in the franchise-tax department. While working there he decided to resume his
education and received special permission to attend the School of Business Administration and
Law at the University of Texas. He maintained a job as a part-time examiner with the Federal
Reserve Bank in Houston while he attended school. He left school six years later without a
degree and became a junior clerk in a Dallas based accounting firm. In 1926 he became assistant
treasurer of the Texas-Louisiana Power Company based in Fort Worth, Texas. After his company
purchased Texas Air Transport he was promoted to treasurer and then financial vice-president of
the newly acquired airline. Smith, after deciding to pursue aviation, received his pilot’s license.
After several mergers Texas Air Transport became a part of American Airways and Smith first
supervised the southern division of American Airways and then took over as vice president of
operations. In October of 1934 Smith became president of American Airlines. While at the helm
of American Airlines, Smith oversaw the modernization and standardization of the equipment and
by 1941 had helped American Airlines become the leading domestic carrier in the United States.
During World War II Smith took a leave of absence from American Airlines and joined the U.S.
Air Corps Ferrying Command. As a deputy commander Smith helped develop a worldwide air
transport system. After the war Smith came back to American Airlines and was made chairman
of the board and chief executive officer. Smith left American in 1968 to become Secretary of
Commerce in President Johnson’s cabinet. After serving only nine months he left government
service and joined an investment firm. Smith returned to American to serve as an unpaid chief
executive officer for a six-month stint after American had some economic and managerial
problems. Smith passed away on April 4, 1990 in Annapolis, Maryland.