My Genealogy Hound

James G. Smyth, president of the Belleville Academy, or Dardanelle High School, under the supervision of Arkansas Conference South, was born in EastTennessee in the year 1859, and is the eldest in a family of three born to J. T. and Elizabeth J. (Morrison) Smyth, who were of North Carolina and Virginia origin. The father was an itinerant preacher of the Methodist Episcopal denomination, in charge of the Holston Conference of Tennessee. He died in North Carolina, in 1888, his widow still surviving him and residing with her son James. Mr. Smyth received his early training and schooling in Tennessee, finishing his education at the Hiwassee College. In 1878 he was licensed as a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and in 1879 graduated, taking the degree of M. A. For a short time he was engaged in teaching, and the following year witnessed his location in Bradley, Ark., whence he went to Eldorado, and there organized the Independent High School. Subsequently he came to Warren and founded the Warren Graded High School, and in 1885 assisted in the establishment of the noted Belleville Academy, with a department for training and graduating pupils, which will admit them to college. This school opened its first session with eighteen students enrolled, and in 1889, 200 names were found upon the attendance list, forty of which were those of boarders. In 1888 Mr. Smyth was chosen county examiner, doing much while in office to raise the grade of teachers and materially benefit them. On November 27, 1880, he led to the altar Miss Amanda Neal, of Bradley County, daughter of Orilla Neal, formerly of Georgia, but later an Arkansan pioneer. This marriage has been blessed with four children: Victor Summerfield (who died in infancy), Vasco (who died at the age of four), Lano and Lud Bolford. Mr. and Mrs. Smyth are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The former is a Democrat politically, and has served as chairman of the Democratic Executive Central Committee. He is a whole-souled gentleman, and has the reputation of being one of the best educators in the State.