Guy Lincoln Smith Jr. was the founder of two Tennessee newspapers (the Johnson City Chronicle and the Bristol Bulletin), publisher of another (Johnson City Staff News), and editor of one of Tennessee’s major dailies (the Knoxville Journal) for 31 years. He attended the university for one year (1915) before transferring to Princeton University, where he received the AB degree in 1919.
As editor of the Knoxville Journal, Smith consistently wrote editorials that advocated that all legislative seats—from county court to US Congress—be based on population without regard to other factors. When his editorials did not bring about the desired results as rapidly as he would have liked, he joined with other litigants in a lawsuit that eventually brought about the Supreme Court’s one-man, one-vote rule not only in Tennessee but also throughout the country. He advocated a number of progressive measures for Knoxville, and espoused numerous charities. In 1940 he established the Journal Milk Fund, a Christmas charity to provide milk and food for indigent children. His editorials kept the Knoxville Zoo from closing and brought about renewed interest in that facility. Smith has been inducted into the Tennessee Newspaper Hall of Fame.