Earl Smith, the former chairman of the Cobb Board of Commissioners and a successful entrepreneur-philanthropist who revived the Strand Theatre on Marietta Square, died Tuesday. He was 93.
Smith was a self-made man, coming from humble beginnings on a farm in Whitfield County to launching E. Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, a thriving local business, with his late wife Rachel.
His community involvement in Marietta and Cobb was varied and expansive. Smith served as chairman of the Cobb Board of Commissioners from 1984-1988, the first Republican to lead a majority-Republican board after decades of Democratic dominance. Before that, he was a member of the county’s planning commission.
While Smith lost his reelection bid for the county chairmanship after one term, his faith in and commitment to Cobb did not waver. He turned his sights toward philanthropic efforts in the county, ranging from the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre to what is now the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre.
From his work with the Boys and Girls Club of Marietta to his service on numerous boards throughout Cobb, Smith was an instrumental leader in the county. He was a charter member of Eastside Baptist Church, the chair of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce in 2000, served on the Cobb-Marietta Water Authority and as chair of Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority.