Smith, Hubert Sidney, M. D.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Hubert Sidney Smith, M. D., for over twenty years has had his home and has done his professional work as a physician and surgeon at Thibodaux. Louisiana, and he is a member of his profession in high standing not only in his home community, but for the service he has rendered on numerous occasions of more than local value.

Doctor Smith was born at New Orleans. November 10, 1864. His great-grandfather was a native of Scotland and spelled his name Smyth. His grandfather was Frederick Smith, who was from the north of Ireland and for many years was employed in the English customs service, living at Wexford, Ireland, and at Deal, England, where he was captain of the guards of the English Customs Service. He died there. His wife was Mary O'Hea, who also died at Deal, England.

George Smith, father of Doctor Smith, was born at Wexford, Ireland, in 1830. He was reared at Deal, England. and running away from home, came to the United States when a very young man, settling in New Orleans. He finished his education in Blackmar College, married at New Orleans, and there engaged in the cotton compress business. He was a very successful business man, and he served in the Confederate army during the war between the states. While his home was in New Orleans, he also maintained a summer home at Biloxi, Mississippi, where he died in 1908. He was a member of the Catholic Church. George Smith married Josephine Catherine Busquet, a granddaughter of General Busquet, of Napoleon's army. She was a native of New Orleans, and died at Thibodaux, Louisiana. Of their three children Doctor Hubert is the oldest ; Marie Josephine, of New Orleans, is the wife of James W. Blunt: and Walter Joseph, who was a partner in a warehouse business, died at the age of thirty-five.

Hubert Sidney Smith was liberally educated, graduating with the A. B. degree from Springhill College, at Mobile, in 1884. After some varied business experience he entered the Medical Department of Tulane University, at New Orleans, graduating M. D. in 1898. After graduating he acted as physician to the Charity Hospital at New Orleans, having supervision of one of the clinics, and during 1899-1900 practiced in New Orleans. In February, 1900, he moved to Thibodaux, and has since steadily engaged in the general practice of medicine and surgery, his offices being located over the Lafourche Drug Store, on west Second Street. During the yellow fever epidemic of 1899 Doctor Smith was connected with the United States Marine Hospital Service at New Orleans. For the past ten years he has been city health officer of Thibodaux, and in May, 1924, was appointed for a term of four years a~ whole the parish health officer of Lafourche Parish, carrying with it the position of field agent in the Public Health Service of the United States. He is a member of the LaFourche Parish and the Louisiana State Medical Society; is secretary of the Lafourche Valley Medical Society, comprising the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, Lafourche and Terrebonne and is president of the Lafourche branch of the Anti-Tuberculosis Society of Louisiana. He acted its secretary and manager of the Thibodaux-Lafourche Association of Commerce in 1919-21, and in 1903 was in charge of the yellow fever epidemic at Lafourche Crossing, taking vigorous measures in stamping out the epidemic. Doctor Smith is secretary of the Democratic Executive Committee of Lafourche Parish, having served in that capacity since 1921. During the World war he was a member of the Volunteer Medical Service Corps. and also acted as deputy food administrator of Lafourche Parish, and was food administrator of Thibodaux. Three thousand recruits were examined by him during the war, and he was the regular examiner for the Marine Corps and also had charge of the Red Cross Hospital for influenza cases of Thibodaux in 1918.

Doctor Smith married, April 23, 1908, at Napoleonville. Louisiana, Miss Effie Mary Munson, daughter of Randolph A. and Alice (Tete) Munson, the latter now deceased. Her father is a part owner of the Woodlawn Plantation. Doctor Smith's wife, who died April 18, 1921, was a graduate of Staunton College, Natchez, Mississippi. Doctor Smith has two daughters, Alice Ann and Marie Denise, both attending high school at Napoleonville.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 351, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.