By Michelle Bates
A man who embodied community spirit and all things Arcadia received special recognition in the renaming of the Arcadia Events Center.
The events center was renamed after the late Mayor Eugene Smith, who served as mayor for nearly 16 years. He passed away in April 2018.
Edwin Mason, who came up with the idea to rename the Arcadia Events Center, said Smith was an exceptional man.
“He was a politician’s politician,” Mason said. “He didn’t meet a stranger. Everywhere he went, he was talking about Arcadia. His legacy is everlasting. He will forever be cherished because he started this process around 2012, and it was completed in 2014, and it was his pride and joy.”
Mason said he wanted to rename the Arcadia Events Center because it was a ‘no brainer.’
“I witnessed former Mayor Smith’s tireless efforts to accomplish this great task and provide his town with a building to hold many events and be the pride of our town and community,” he continued. “I marveled at his relationship with former Governor (Bobby) Jindal to accomplish this in a small town. So it was a no brainer that his name should forever be etched in the stone and walls of his event center.”
Smith’s grandson, Jessie E. Smith, said he and his family were honored to have this recognition for the late mayor.
“This place was one of his highest achievements,” he said. “It seems so fitting that it was named after him.”
He shared stories with those in attendance, especially one in Smith’s final days.
“He followed everything that was going on, and while he was in the hospital, he would introduce himself and talked to everyone, introducing himself as ‘Eugene Smith, Mayor of Arcadia.’ My grandfather’s spirit will always live on in the community of Arcadia, and now every time we gather here, we’ll be reminded of his love for his community.”
Mayor O’Landis Millican reflected on his relationship with Smith, saying he taught him much about being in politics.
“If you know Eugene Smith, you know not to disagree with him,” he said. “If you knew Mayor Smith, you’d know the love he had for Arcadia. It’s unmatched. He was the best teacher on how to be a politician.”
Smith retired from the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles after 30 years of service to the state. Following retirement, he ran for and won the mayor’s seat in 2003, and remained so until his passing.
He owned and operated a furniture store and a car dealership in Arcadia for many years.
Two of Eugene Smith’s major accomplishments as mayor were the funding and construction of the Arcadia Events Center and the purchase of the Vanity Fair Outlet Mall, both reportedly with no debt to the town.
His loving wife, Billie Smith, sent a statement to be read during the ceremony.
Millican said she could not make it, but read aloud what she’d written about her late husband.
“I would like to thank Mayor Millican and the members of the Town Council for the honor they are bestowing upon their former mayor and my late husband, Mayor Eugene Smith. He proudly served the Town of Arcadia for almost 16 years. Eugene recognized that Arcadia and the surrounding area were in desperate need of a facility such as the Event Center. With the help of some friends in Baton Rouge, he
was able to obtain the funding for the building, and so the work began. Eugene and the Town Council worked tirelessly to completely fulfill his vision. It is a beautiful, multi-functional facility for everyone to enjoy.
“I remember being at several events with Eugene where certain people would ask him how he managed to get that much money approved at the state level. He would reply in his own unique humor, “I had to shake a lot of hands and kiss a lot of people. Now, I won’t say where I had to kiss them.”
“Again, my family and I want to thank everyone for this great honor. Our only wish is that he could be present to see how much his leadership and hard work are being appreciated.” (Billie Smith, 10/09/24)