Mr. Julius Smietanka, son of Francis and Joan Smietanka, nee Kadow, was born in Chicago in the year 1872. He first attended the St. Adalbert parish school and later the Pickard public school and the West Division High School. After completing a business course at the Metropolitan College he was employed about two years as a bookkeeper in the National Brewery. Wishing to obtain a higher education, he enrolled with the Chicago Atheneum for a pre-legal course, Which he followed by entering the Kent College of Law, from which he graduated with the degree of LL. B. when only twenty-two years old. In the same year he received his license to practice law, a profession which he has followed up to the present time.

Mr. Smietanka takes a very active part in social and political affairs, Polish as well as American. In his life has held many different offices. In the administration of Mayor Busse he was for three years a 2member of the Board of Education. Mr. Busse's successor, Mr. Harrison, nominated him again for this office, but Mr. Smietanka resigned before completing his term of office to take the post of collector of internal revenue for the Northern District of Illinois, offered to him by President Wilson. In spite of great responsibilities because of the World War he discharged the duties of this office to the complete satisfaction of all. Through his efforts the number of Poles employed in various federal bureaus has been greater then ever before. In short, whenever he could, he endeavored to push Poles into more important jobs in Chicago and even in Washington, after six years he resigned the office in order to devote his whole time to his own affairs and his law practice.

After the incorporation of the Northwestern Trust and Savings Bank he became a director of this institution, an office which he still holds. He was also at one time a vice-president of this bank. Later, he was elected president of the Depositors' State Bank, an office which he resigned in 1919.

Mr. Smietanka is also a director and the general secretary of the Great Lakes Insurance company, and he is a member of the Polish National Alliance, the Knights of Columbus, the Iroquois Club, the Midday City Club, the Bar Association, and many other organizations. He has been a member of the executive committee of Catholic Charities since the foundation of this institution. He is a member of the important law firm of Kraus, Goodwin, Smietanka, and Richard, whose offices are located in the Tribune Building, 7 South Dearborn Street. They have a branch office in Washington, D. C.

Mr. Smietanka specializes in legal questions pertaining to prohibition and federal taxes as well as in matters of general law practice.

In 1901 Mr. Smietanka married Mary Barzynska, niece of Fathers Vincent and Joseph Barzynski. The marriage was blessed with five children, of whom the younger ones go to the St. Philip parochial School, and the older ones attend Bowen High School in South Chicago and DePaul University.

Mr. Smietanka lives in a beautiful residence on the South Side at 7345 Oglesby Avenue. In his leisure time he pursues his hobby of gardenings on his farm in Michigan.