 Smith would occasionally joke that it was the highest position he ever reached in his career.Following high school, Smith spent some time in the Civilian Conservation Corps before joining the United States Merchant Marine at age 21.He went into journalism, first for the "Bakersfield Californian", then for the "Honolulu Advertiser", United Press, the "Sacramento Union", the "San Diego Daily Journal", the "Daily News", and the "Los Angeles Herald-Express", before joining the "Los Angeles Times" in June 1953.