Smith was a highly educated African-American who came to Texas in the late 1800s and did much to improve the lives of newly freed African-Americans in Texas.

He created the Farmers Improvement Society to get tenant farmers out of a cycle of debt and poverty. The Society provided life insurance, financed a bank in Waco, operated an agricultural boarding school, and provided a social life in a religious and fraternal setting for African-Americans across Texas. At its high point in 1911, the FIS claimed 12,000 members in 800 branches across Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Smith married Ruby Cobb of Waco, who was instrumental in helping him run the FIS.

This great exhibit features photographs and documents of the FIS and is made possible through the generous gift of materials from the Smith-Cobb family of Waco.

Stop by The Texas Collection from February 1 - March 20, 2012 to view the exhibit.