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A friend, of mine and of the the entire progressive movement, passed away yesterday. He will be very sorely missed by all of us lucky enough to know him, but also by millions of people on whose behalf he labored tirelessly who never knew his name.
I first met Smith Bagley in 1988, when someone suggested I go talk to him about a candidate I was helping out. From that first meeting, I found him to be one of those people who was exactly what he seemed. He was funny, inquisitive, creative, focused, and warm at that very first meeting, and every time I've seen him since. What I did not know at that first meeting, but quickly learned, is that Smith was one of the most generous, big-hearted, and determined progressives there has been in this country over the last 50 years. His philanthropy, fundraising, idea generating, and policy creativity have helped one important cause after another. Without Smith, the Reagan supported war in El Salvador probably would have dragged on for many more years; the Superfund to clean up the country's worst toxic waste sites probably never would have been created; the recent progress on Cuba policy and the death penalty in many states would not have been possible; tens of millions of voters never would have gotten registered; vital organizations like the National Security Archive, CREW, USAction, and Women's Voices Women's Vote might not have gotten started at all.
Several years ago, I was very honored to be asked by Smith to join the board of the family foundation that he chaired, the Arca foundation. When he asked me to join, he said he wanted to make one thing clear: he wanted every board member to be an independent voice. "If you disagree, I want you to argue with me, never hold back. Just because I'm the chair of the board, and the money originally came from my family, doesn't mean you should ever defer to me. Once you on our board, you have an equal vote and an equal voice." And he held to that. The Arca board is one of the most independent and feisty boards I have ever been on. We argue vigorously over all kinds of things, but because of the tone Smith set, the arguments were always healthy, and no one, least of all him, has ever held a grudge about losing the occasional vote.
After Smith had his first stroke a couple of years back, it slowed him down a little, but he never lost his edge or his sense of humor. He and I were talking one day about the fact that he sometimes had more trouble with names than he had before, and I said to him that I did too. His response was classic Smith: "Well, I had a damn stroke. What's your excuse?"
Smith Bagley was one of the finest people I have ever known. The entire progressive movement lost a warrior yesterday.
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