1971 TEXAS INAUGURAL FESTIVITIES INCLUDES: Inaugural Festivities Invitation Inaugural Festivities Program of Events Inaugural Dinner Invitation with unused contribution cards and envelopes Photos of Preston Smith and Ben Barnes Preston Earnest Smith (March 8, 1912 ? October 18, 2003) was the 40th Governor of Texas from 1969 to 1973, who earlier served as the lieutenant governor from 1963 to 1969. In 1968, Smith was elected governor, a position he held from 1969 to 1973. He succeeded the popular Democratic Governor John B. Connally, Jr., who later switched to the Republican Party. To win the governorship, Smith first defeated Don Yarborough in the 1968 Democratic runoff election. In the low-turnout general election of 1970, Smith, who had been unopposed in the Democratic primaries, received 1,197,726 votes (53.6 percent) to Paul W. Eggers' 1,037,723 (46.4 percent). Smith's terms were still two years each. The state switched to four-year terms in 1974. The items are complete and in FINE or better condition with some overall light wear.