Battle of Backbone Mountain

Addie Viola Smith (November 14, 1893 – December 13, 1975), also known as "Shi Fanglan" (施芳蘭),^[1] was an attorney from the United States who served as the trade commissioner to Shanghai from 1928 to 1949. She was the first woman Foreign Service officer in the United States Foreign Service to work under the United States Department of Commerce and the first woman assistant trade commissioenr.

Smith was born and raised in Stockton, California. She attended college in San Francisco and worked in California from 1910 to 1917 for a merchandising company. In 1917, Smith moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the United States Department of Labor. She attended the American University Washington College of Law part time and earned a bachelor of laws in 1920. In October 1920, Smith joined the Foreign Service. She was assigned to Beijing as a clerk in the trade commissioner's office and promoted to assistant to the trade commissioner in Shanghai in 1922.

Smith was appointed trade commissioner of Shanghai in 1928. During her tenure, she promoted the importation of American automobiles into China and the introduction of American radio. She held the post until 1939, when she took on the position of counsel and secretary to the United States Consulate in Shanghai. Thereafter, Smith served in several roles in the United States government. She was the representative of the International Federation of Women Lawyers to the United Nations from 1952 to 1964. She was also a member of several organizations, including the American Women's Club of Shanghai, the Joint Committee of Shanghai Women's Organizations, the Royal Australian Historical Society, the League of Women Voters, Sydney, and the Australian Local Government Women's Association.

Early life (1893–1920)

Addie Viola Smith was born in Stockton, California, on (1893-11-14)November 14, 1893 to Rufus Roy Smith, a publisher, and Addie Gabriela Smith (née Brown). Smith studied business administration at Heald's Business College in San Francisco, graduating in 1908. From 1910 to 1917, she worked for a large California-based merchandising firm that sold dry goods.^[2] She then moved to Washington, D.C., in 1917 and took the civil service examination. That year, she was hired into the United States Department of Labor by Julia Lathrop, the director of the United States Children's Bureau, to work under Grace Abbott in implementing recently passed child labor legislation.^[3] Smith also served as a confidential clerk to an assistant secretary, assistant chief of the Women's Division of the United States Employment Service, and chief of the Information Division of the United States Training and Dilution Service. In 1919, she worked on the first National Industrial Conference and edited the proceedings of the first International Labor Office Conference.^[1]

During her service with the Labor Department, Smith attended the American University Washington College of Law as a part-time student and obtained a bachelor of laws degree in 1920.^[4] She was also mentored by a network of women in government and politics, whom she drew upon throughout her career.^[3]

Foreign service in China (1920–1939)

Smith was appointed to the United States Foreign Service as a Foreign Service officer in October 1920 and assigned to the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce under the United States Department of Commerce. She was the first woman to serve as a Foreign Service officer under the Bureau.^[5] Smith initially worked as a clerk in the trade commissioner's office in Beijing.^[6] During her time as a clerk, Smith requested permission to sit for a civil service examination so that she could obtain a promotion to assistant trade commissioner.^[7] Despite support from her immediate supervisor and American businesses operating in China, the Assistant Director of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce O. P. Hopkins, denied her application. Hopkins wrote to Smith: "The Bureau has not yet made any definite decision as to what its policy will be toward employing women as assistant trade commissioners and trade commissioners."^[8] Smith wrote back, stating that "the opening of higher positions to women is not nearly so 'grave and serious' a matter, as is the caliber of the representatives, be they men or women, which the Bureau sends to its foreign posts", and that she had a right to sit for the exam.^[7] The government official Hilda Muhlhauser Richards also intervened on Smith's behalf—threatening to "take the issue to New York women's organizations"—prompting Hopkins to reverse his decision.^[8] Smith became the first woman appointed to the post of assistant trade commissioner on November 1, 1922.^[9]

While serving as assistant trade commissioner, Smith again sought promotion to full trade commissioner. After she was passed over, Clara Burdette of the California Federation of Women's Clubs appealed to her friend Herbert Hoover, who was then the Secretary of Commerce; at that point, however, she had already been appointed trade commissioner, effective January 1, 1928. At the time of her appointment, Smith was one of two women trade commissioners in China.^[10] Smith also served as the registrar of the Chinese Trade Act of 1922. In that role, Smith was responsible for ensuring corporate compliance with registration requirements.^[11]

As trade commissioner, Smith was responsible for reporting on Chinese industry, infrastructure, and trade opportunities to the Department of Commerce; advising American business interests; serving as a liaison between American and Chinese businesses; implementing U.S. trade policy; and promoting the expansion of American trade in China.^[12] Smith prioritized building roads as a means of increasing the import of American automobiles to China.^[12] She also lobbied to bring shortwave radio broadcasting to China, eventually succeeding in persuading General Electric to open W6XBE, which rebroadcast NBC's domestic radio programs to China from the San Francisco Bay Area.^[13] After the station's launch, Smith worked to improve its programming, suggesting that the station "give succinct resumes of important American happenings and events, to be given by prominent persons identified with American governmental, commercial, financial, and cultural life", such as "broadcasts of Carnegie Hall concerts, symphony orchestras, military bands, and similar items".^[14]

Post-trade commissioner career (1939–1975)

Smith resigned as trade commissioner in 1939, when she was appointed counsel and secretary to the United States Consulate in Shanghai. From 1942 to 1946, Smith lived and worked in Washington, D.C. She served as an economic specialist for the United States Department of State from 1942 to 1943, and worked with the China America Council of Commerce and Industry on post-war trade from 1944 to 1946. She moved back to China in 1946 to open the Council's Shanghai headquarters, and then worked for private companies and the United States China Relief Mission.^[15]

In 1949, Smith left China and moved to Bangkok, where she worked for the United States Economic Cooperation Administration and the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East.^[15] From 1952 to 1964, Smith was the representative of the International Federation of Women Lawyers to the United Nations in New York.^[15]

Personal life

Smith met her life partner, Eleanor Mary Hinder, in 1926, when Hinder was serving as the industrial secretary of the Young Women's Christian Association.^[16] Shortly thereafter, Hinder moved into Smith's apartment.^[17] They lived together in Shanghai until 1941, where they were "devoted to each other, shar[ing] a house[ ] and creat[ing] a garden",^[16] although they did not identify themselves as lesbians.^[18] During her time in Shanghai, Smith was a member of the American Women's Club of Shanghai and the Joint Committee of Shanghai Women's Organizations, through which she engaged in feminist activism.^[19]

After Hinder was denied United States citizenship, Smith and Hinder established a residence in Sydney, Australia, in 1957.^[15] Smith also a member of the Royal Australian Historical Society, the League of Women Voters, Sydney, and the Australian Local Government Women's Association, serving as its vice president from 1968 to 1970.^[20]

Hinder died in 1963; Smith remained close with her family and chronicled the Hinder family genealogy.^[16] Smith died on (1975-12-13)December 13, 1975 in Mosman, New South Wales, Australia, and was cremated. Smith and Hinder were memorialized by their friends with two stone seats at the E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Gardens in Caringbah.^[16]

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