Lloyd Smith salutes Bill Emerson at his SEMO Regents swearing-in

The sudden death nearly a quarter of a century ago by 8th District Missouri Rep. Bill Emerson was on the mind of his former chief of staff Lloyd Smith on Monday

Smith was sworn in by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. as the newest member of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents at its meeting.

Smith, a former executive director of the Missouri Republican Party, took his regents seat quoting from President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1910 “In the Arena” speech and applying those sentiments to Emerson, his former boss, who died of lung cancer June 22, 1996. Emerson served 15 years as Southeast Missouri’s representative in the U.S. House. The 58-year old Emerson was succeeded by his widow, Jo Ann Emerson, who served in Congress until 2013.

Smith will serve on the board until Jan. 1, 2026.