Patrick Smathers

Pat Smathers
Mayor of Canton, North Carolina, US
In office
1999–2011
Personal details
BornPatrick Underwood Smathers
(1954-01-08) January 8, 1954
PartyDemocratic
SpouseSherry Meece
ChildrenZeb Smathers
EducationDuke University (BA)
Wake Forest University (JD)


Patrick Underwood "Pat" Smathers (born January 8, 1954[1]) served as the Mayor of Canton, North Carolina from 1999 to 2011.[2][3] He ran for Lieutenant Governor of his state in 2008.

Early life and education

Smathers' family has lived in Canton, North Carolina, for at least eight generations.[4] His father was Loranzo Smathers.[5]

Smathers graduated from Duke University with a degree in political science.[6] He played football under an athletic scholarship. He is also a graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law.[5]

He also serves in the North Carolina Army National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel, and is a graduate from the United States Army War College Class of 2006.[7]

Career

Early in his career, Smathers owned Pisgah Recycling in Canton.[6]

Politics

He is a member of the North Carolina Local Government Commission, a member of the Haywood Rotary Club, and is involved in the North Carolina Democratic Party Task Force on Western North Carolina. He was Haywood County's Rotary Citizen of the Year in 2003 and was elected to the Pisgah High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. He also serves as the Vice president of the Haywood County Democratic Men's Club, was chairman of the 2003 Vance-Aycock Dinner, and is a former County party chair.

Smathers served as mayor of Canton from 1999 to 2011.[8] The Mountaineer reported that Smathers helped to "revive Canton" and rebuild city infrastructure.[8] He attempted to revitalize downtown through the conversion of historic structures into modern businesses.[9] Significant events in Smathers' mayoral tenure included responding to the September 11 attacks and flooding from hurricanes.[10]

In 2000, Smathers served as campaign chair for Al Gore's presidential campaign in North Carolina's Eleventh Congressional District.[11]

His 2008 Lieutenant Governor campaign slogan was "Local Leadership, Statewide." Smathers came in third in the May 6, 2008 primary, behind winner Walter H. Dalton and runner-up Hampton Dellinger.

Law

He has made his living as an attorney for 27 years. He is the attorney for the Haywood County School System and Haywood Community College.

In 2014, Smathers undertook an investigation into allegations of violations of the Equal Access Act related to the attempt by a student to form a Secular Student Alliance club at Pisgah High School in Canton, North Carolina. His report concluded that the allegations were "without merit and baseless." The Freedom From Religion Foundation released a statement saying they were "troubled by the report, which contains many factual errors and focuses on matters that are irrelevant to forming a student club."[12]

In 2019, the Smoky Mountain Newsreported that Smathers would be in charge of administering a $6 million donation to benefit local students and residents.[13]

Business

In 2021, Smathers started the Smathers Farmers and Public Market in Canton to help revitalize the city.[14]

Personal life

In 1981, Smathers married Sherry Meece, the owner of Peddler's Square in Canton.[5] Smathers' son Zeb went on to serve as mayor of Canton.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Pat Smathers:Candidate for Lieutenant Governor". Indyweek. April 23, 2008. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  2. ↑ Dunn, Colby (2011-08-24). "The man behind the town An unabashed champion of Canton, Pat Smathers nears the end of his dozen year tenure". Smoky Mountain News. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
  3. ↑ Billings, Lynne (February 22, 2004). "Canton embraces family atmosphere". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved 2026-08-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Wakeman, Jessica (August 17, 2026). "In Canton, a Small-Town Mayor Faces Big Questions". The Assembly. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "Meece-Smathers". The Asheville Times. November 29, 1981. Retrieved 2026-08-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 Hensley, Jay (June 11, 1976). "Smathers' Mission: Cash for Trash". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved 2026-08-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Mountaineer; Waynesville, North Carolina; June 26, 2006; Pat Smathers, 50, is the son of the late Loranzo and Frances Smathers. He is an attorney and owns Smathers Square retail building and Imperial Plaza in Canton, plus 23 apartments for low-income elderly and handicapped people. 1972 -- Smathers graduates from Pisgah High School and earns a football scholarship to Duke.
  8. 1 2 Haney, DeeAnna (December 11, 2011). "Smathers reviews tenure as mayor". The Mountaineer. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Canton mayor looks to state for help with business venture". The Mountaineer. January 28, 2009. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  10. ↑ Vaillancourt, Cory (January 3, 2018). "Following in the footfalls: Canton's new mayor takes the reins". Smoky Mountain News. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  11. ↑ Turque, Bill (February 14, 2014). Inventing Al Gore. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 202. ISBN 9780544364264. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  12. ↑ Winston, Kimberely (2014-03-01). "Student reverses course on secular club, citing threats". Religion News Service.
  13. ↑ Vaillancourt, Cory (March 13, 2019). "Large donations will benefit Haywood students, residents". Smoky Mountain News. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  14. ↑ Bollinger, Christy (May 9, 2021). "A Canton comeback: Smathers Farmers and Public Market debut". Spectrum News 1. Retrieved 2026-08-24.


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