A Tri-Cities community leader, self described “political junkie” and author of Washington history and politics books died Saturday.
C. Mark Smith, of Richland, was 89.
He retired from a 40-year career in economic development in 2005 that included eight years as a senior official in the Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations.
From 2000 to 2005 he served as the manager of business and economic development for the city of Richland .
The next 19 years he dedicated to his interest in history, biography and politics, r esearching and authoring five books .
He wrote books when he “saw a hole in history he wanted to fill,” said Robert Franklin, vice president of the B Reactor Museum Association and Washington State University Tri-Cities assistant professor of history.
Smith, a native of Tacoma, started with “Raising Cain,” about his childhood mentor, former Washington Sen. Harry P. Cain. It was Cain who exposed the excesses of the Eisenhower Administration’s loyalty-security program as an administration appointee during the McCarthy era.