James L. Smith (March 28, 1917 - December 24, 2000) was a Democratic politician who served in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was born in Marshall, Missouri, and was educated in Marshall public schools and attended Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri. On August 16, 1942, he married Mildred Heynen in Elkton, Maryland. He was a veteran of the United States Army Air Forces and served during World War II.