Preston E. Smith, 91; Former Texas Governor Known for Polka Dots

Preston E. Smith, 91, former Texas governor known for his assortment of polka-dot ties and old-fashioned electioneering, died Saturday of pneumonia in Texas Tech Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas.

A Democrat, Smith was elected governor in 1968 and served two terms. He pushed for the first comprehensive drug abuse program in Texas and worked for passage of the state’s first minimum wage law. His second term was marked by fallout from an influence-peddling scandal that resulted in the defeat of many long-term officeholders in the 1972 election.

One of 13 children of a poor tenant farmer, Smith decided at age 8 to become governor. He worked his way through Texas Tech, ran a gas station and opened a movie theater before turning to politics.

With little money, he campaigned face-to-face and relied on personal contacts and direct mail. When a mentor suggested he try something to make him stand out, he bought three black and white polka-dot ties for $1, and the ties became his trademark. At one time he estimated he had 2,500, including many sent by admirers.