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T. Dan Smith
Thomas Daniel Smith (11 May 1915 – 27 July 1993), also known by his nickname “Mr Newcastle”, was a British Labour Party politician who served as chairman of the Newcastle Labour Party from 1953 to 1965, and as Leader of Newcastle City Council from 1960 to 1965. He is best known for his work to clear Newcastle of slum housing and his plans to transform the city into "The Brasília of the North". He supported the expansion of higher education, Newcastle Airport, and local arts institutions. In 1974, Smith pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
Among the developments in which Smith's council participated were the Newcastle Civic Centre and Swan House. The latter led to the demolition of John Dobson's Royal Arcade, though Smith's council had it carefully dismantled and planned to rebuild it nearby. The succeeding council decided not to rebuild it. Smith's legacy became associated with the destruction of historic buildings in favour of unpopular concrete structures, despite the key developments happening mainly under other council leaders.
After leaving the council leadership, Smith ran a public relations firm and formed business links with architect John Poulson. In Smith's later life he campaigned for prisoners' issues and continued to comment on public affairs. He starred in a film of his life released in 1987.
Smith was born in Wallsend, the son of a Durham miner. His father drank heavily and was a gambler. His mother worked long hours cleaning the Wallsend telephone exchange and washing floors at the Shell-Mex office.
He attended Western Boys School in Wallsend and became a printer's apprentice at the age of 14. After a period of unemployment, he founded his own painting and decorating business in 1937. During the economically difficult years of the 1930s, he expanded his business, painting cinema exteriors across Tyneside.
Both his parents were communists and Smith adopted left-wing opinions himself. During World War II, Smith registered as a conscientious objector and was initially active in opposing the war and organising strikes against it, but he supported the war after the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. During the war, Smith joined several left-wing organisations. He was a regional representative for the Independent Labour Party in 1943, but later joined the Revolutionary Communist Party and led a shipyard strike.
By 1945, he was a member of the Labour Party and, in 1950, he was elected to Newcastle City Council as a Labour member, representing the Walker ward. He became chairman of the Labour Group in 1953.
It was around that time that he began using his first initial in his name, following an incident at Newcastle Airport when he was confused with another person called Dan Smith.
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T. Dan Smith
Thomas Daniel Smith (11 May 1915 – 27 July 1993), also known by his nickname “Mr Newcastle”, was a British Labour Party politician who served as chairman of the Newcastle Labour Party from 1953 to 1965, and as Leader of Newcastle City Council from 1960 to 1965. He is best known for his work to clear Newcastle of slum housing and his plans to transform the city into "The Brasília of the North". He supported the expansion of higher education, Newcastle Airport, and local arts institutions. In 1974, Smith pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
Among the developments in which Smith's council participated were the Newcastle Civic Centre and Swan House. The latter led to the demolition of John Dobson's Royal Arcade, though Smith's council had it carefully dismantled and planned to rebuild it nearby. The succeeding council decided not to rebuild it. Smith's legacy became associated with the destruction of historic buildings in favour of unpopular concrete structures, despite the key developments happening mainly under other council leaders.
After leaving the council leadership, Smith ran a public relations firm and formed business links with architect John Poulson. In Smith's later life he campaigned for prisoners' issues and continued to comment on public affairs. He starred in a film of his life released in 1987.
Smith was born in Wallsend, the son of a Durham miner. His father drank heavily and was a gambler. His mother worked long hours cleaning the Wallsend telephone exchange and washing floors at the Shell-Mex office.
He attended Western Boys School in Wallsend and became a printer's apprentice at the age of 14. After a period of unemployment, he founded his own painting and decorating business in 1937. During the economically difficult years of the 1930s, he expanded his business, painting cinema exteriors across Tyneside.
Both his parents were communists and Smith adopted left-wing opinions himself. During World War II, Smith registered as a conscientious objector and was initially active in opposing the war and organising strikes against it, but he supported the war after the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. During the war, Smith joined several left-wing organisations. He was a regional representative for the Independent Labour Party in 1943, but later joined the Revolutionary Communist Party and led a shipyard strike.
By 1945, he was a member of the Labour Party and, in 1950, he was elected to Newcastle City Council as a Labour member, representing the Walker ward. He became chairman of the Labour Group in 1953.
It was around that time that he began using his first initial in his name, following an incident at Newcastle Airport when he was confused with another person called Dan Smith.