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overwhelmingly Democratic General Assembly.
I had the honor of working closely with Senator Smith when he
was a member of a joint subcommittee to address the highly volatile
and unstable electric rates during the energy crisis of the 1970s. I was
the State CorporationCommission’s liaison to that body. It was no easy
or popular task for an elected official to be a voice of reason seeking
to craft workable, albeit unexciting, solutions to this extraordinarily
complex situation, but Senator Smith assiduously labored to lower
the volume and heat of public frustration and political grandstanding.
He tenaciously worked with his colleagues on proposals to restore
and enhance confidence, accountability and stability in the ability
of utilities to provide sufficient, reliable and economical service and
for Virginia’s government to properly regulate and oversee those
operations. The fact that Virginia weathered this crisis with virtually
no damage to the viability of our electricity providers to serve the
public with proper government regulation is a testament to the
courageous statesmanship of Senator Smith and his colleagues, who
steadfastly refused to compromise public responsibility for political
expediency.
The quality of government does not solely depend upon the
distinguished service of those few men and women who receive
some semblance of immortality by having things named in their
memory; it depends much more upon those dedicated public servants
who conscientiously and diligently work on tough challenges and do
the right thing that will stand the test of time, giving no regard to
achieving fame, recognition or even appreciation. If things are named
after H. Selwyn Smith, so much the better, but whether they are or
not, Virginia benefitted greatly because of his public service: Captain;
Mr. Commonwealth’s Attorney; Senator; Mr. Secretary; Your Honor
– are titles he received, but the title H. Selwyn Smith truly earned is
Statesman.
Senator Colgan said it well, “I never met a finer man.”
Senator Charles J. Colgan said H. Selwyn Smith “was truly one of
our community’s finest sons.” This takes on added meaning because
Senator Colgan defeated Senator Smith in the 1975 Democratic
primary and went on to take his seat in the Senate. Five years later,
Senator Colgan nominated his former opponent for a Circuit Court
judgeship. Even though they had political differences, they shared
an enormous mutual respect for one another and a close personal
friendship.
Few public servants have had the honor of serving in all three
branches of our commonwealth’s government, but H. Selwyn Smith
was proud to be one of them. He died on August 24, 2013, at the age
of 91.
H. Selwyn Smith served as a captain in the U. S. Army during
World War II, fought in the Battle of Bulge and was wounded while
commanding Company K of the 26th Infantry Division. He was
elected Commonwealth’s Attorney of PrinceWilliam County in 1960
and served in that office until 1968. In 1971, he was elected to the
Senate of Virginia, where he served until 1976. When the Office of
Secretary of Public Safety was created in 1976, Governor Mills E.
Godwin, Jr. appointed him as the first person to hold that office. In
1978, Governor John N. Dalton reappointed him to that position. He
resigned from Governor Dalton’s cabinet on July 1, 1980, to accept
the judgeship of the 31st Judicial Circuit of Virginia and served until
he retired on June 30, 1993, but continued as a substitute Circuit
Court Judge for ten years.
The important thing about Judge Smith’s career in public office
was not the number or the variety of positions of trust he held, but
the distinctively honorable manner in which he served. Even though
his career was focused on a time when partisanship was not so
polarized as it seems to be today, it was no simple feat to run so
often and to serve so long as a Democrat, then to serve in the Cabinet
of two Republican Governors and to be nominated for a Virginia
judgeship by a Democratic Senator and elected to that position by an
In Memoriam
Elvira Shaw,
Virginia Capitol Advocate
Elvira Beville Shaw, 93, of Colonial Heights, died Thursday,
October 3, 2013. Public service epitomized her life and her many
involvements included the Virginia United Methodist Conference
serving on the Board of Church and Society, Virginia Federation
of Women’s Club, Colonial Heights Women’s Club and Petersburg
Women’s Club. She was the secretary for the Virginia Electoral
Board for 25 years, the Colonial Heights Electoral Board since 1960,
the Social Service Board for Colonial Heights and Chesterfield, the
Criminal Justice Board, Chester Agency on Aging, Central Virginia
Health Agency, Inc., the State Department of Volunteerism and the
Department of Aging Board. She was a board member of the Richard
Bland College Foundation and a citizen advocate for AARP and had
been on its legislative committee since 1976.
Elvira’s dedication to good government kept her actively involved
at the Capitol. She was a colleague in the struggle for justice and
when the 2014 Session convenes she shall be missed.
Photo taken during the 2013 Session of the General Assembly by her friend,
David Bailey.
A Tribute to the Honorable H. Selwyn Smith
By Bernie Henderson
SHAW
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