Howard Smoot, known as Dan Smoot (October 5, 1913 –July 24, 2003), was a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and a conservative political activist. From 1957 to 1971, he published The Dan Smoot Report, which chronicled alleged communist infiltration in various sectors of American government and society. Background Smoot was unsuccessful in his campaign for public office, but he rose to fame as a pundit on radio and television. He initially served as the spokesperson and face of H.L. Hunt's Facts Forum before leaving to create his own. Departure from the FBI Spreading his conservative message In 1962, Smoot wrote The Invisible Government concerning early members of the Council on Foreign Relations. Other books include The Hope of the World; The Business End of Government; and his autobiography, People Along the Way. Additionally he was associated with Robert W. Welch, Jr.'s John Birch Society and wrote for the society's American Opinion bi-monthly magazine. In 1972, Smoot served as campaign manager for American Independent Party presidential candidate John G. Schmitz. Books The Hope of the World (1958) The Invisible Government (1962) The Business End of Government (1973) People Along the Way: The Autobiography of Dan Smoot (1993) References Further reading Hendershot, Heather. What's Fair on the Air? Cold War Right-Wing Broadcasting and the Public Interest (University of Chicago Press; 2011) 260 pages; covers the rise and fall of prominent far-right radio hosts: H. L. Hunt, Dan Smoot, Carl McIntire, and Billy James Hargis. External links FBI file on Dan Smoot The Dan Smoot Report 1913 births 2003 deaths People from Mississippi County, Missouri Southern Methodist University alumni Harvard University alumni Federal Bureau of Investigation agents American male journalists 20th-century American journalists American political writers American radio personalities People from Dallas People from Tyler, Texas John Birch Society members American conspiracy theorists Conservatism in the United States American anti-communists Television personalities from Texas