Background
Viola was born on November 14, 1893, in Stockton, California, United States.
Viola was born on November 14, 1893, in Stockton, California, United States.
Viola studied at Lafayette Public School in Oakland, California, and McKinley Avenue Night School in Los Angelos. Then she graduated from Heald and Dixon Business College in Oakland, and Washington College of Law (1920 Class) with a degree of Bachelor of Laws.
Viola Smith was Confidential Clerk to Assistant Secretary of Labor, Washington, D. C., in 1917, Assistant Chief of Woman’s Division of the U.S. Employment Service in 1918, Special Representative of the Department of Labor on Canadian investigation of Training and Dilution in 1918.
Smith was Chief of the Information Division of the U.S. Training Service in 1918-1919, Secretary to Employees Group on the 1st Industrial Conference in October 1919, in Washington, D. C., on the 1st International Labor Conference in October-December 1919.
Viola supervised Stenographic force and translators on the 2nd Pan American Congress Financial Congress in January 1920, in Washington, D. C.
Smith was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce on October 5, 1921. She became the first woman to be appointed in the foreign field service of this Department.