Editing Tom Smothers (section)

==Early life==
Thomas Bolyn Smothers III was born on February 2, 1937, at the [[Fort Jay]] army post hospital on [[Governors Island]] in New York City, the son of Ruth (''née'' Remick), a homemaker, and Major Thomas B. Smothers, a [[United States Army]] officer who died a [[Prisoner of war|POW]] of the Japanese in April 1945.<ref name = Grimes>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/27/arts/television/tom-smothers-dead.html|title = Tom Smothers, Comic Half of the Smothers Brothers, Dies at 86|last = Grimes|first = William|date = December 27, 2023|accessdate = December 27, 2023|newspaper = [[The New York Times]]|url-access = limited}}</ref> The younger Smothers later grew up in [[Altadena, California|Altadena]], [[Sunland-Tujunga, Los Angeles|Tujunga]], and [[Redondo Beach, California]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bianculli|2009|pp=4, 7, 12-13}}</ref> 

As a child, Smothers played guitar and piano [[playing by ear|by ear]] due to difficulty reading [[sheet music]]; Smothers would be diagnosed with [[dyslexia]] at age 31.<ref name="Bianculli 11-12">{{harvnb|Bianculli|2009|p=11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/news/hall-fame/dick-smothers-and-tom-smothers-hall-fame-tribute|title=Dick Smothers and Tom Smothers: Hall of Fame Tribute|last=Stambler|first=Lyndon|publisher=Television Academy|date=December 13, 2017|accessdate=February 3, 2024}}</ref> Beginning in fifth grade, he played guitar in bands formed with friends and began incorporating humor with his music and in-school interactions.<ref name="Bianculli 11-12"/><ref name="Zucco 2000">{{cite web|last=Zucco|first=Tom|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010204094900/http://www.sptimes.com:80/News/110500/Floridian/The_Zen_of_Tommy_Smot.shtml|archivedate=February 4, 2001|title=The Zen of Tommy Smothers|work=St. Petersburg Times|url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/110500/Floridian/The_Zen_of_Tommy_Smot.shtml|date=November 5, 2000|accessdate=February 3, 2024|url-status=dead}}</ref> Athletically, he grew up competing in [[gymnastics]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bianculli|2009|pp=8, 11}}</ref>

Smothers first attended [[Verdugo Hills High School]] before transferring to [[Redondo Union High School]] as a senior. At Redondo Beach, he and his brother sang in the school's madrigal choir, Tom as a bass and Dick as a tenor; Tom graduated from Redondo Union in 1955.<ref name = Grimes/><ref>{{harvnb|Bianculli|2009|pp=7, 13-14}}</ref> Smothers then enrolled at San Jose State College (now [[San Jose State University]]) in 1956 as an advertising major and competed at [[pole vault]] on the track team as a freshman in 1956–57.<ref name="Bianculli 14-15">{{harvnb|Bianculli|2009|pp=14-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://digitalcollections.sjsu.edu/islandora/object/islandora%3A231_10844#page/204/mode/2up|title=1957 La Torre, Centennial Edition|publisher=San Jose State College|year=1957|page=205|accessdate=February 3, 2024}}</ref> Then in 1957–58, Smothers competed on the gymnastics team, where he tied for first place on the [[parallel bars]] at the 1958 State College Gymnastics Championships.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://digitalcollections.sjsu.edu/islandora/object/islandora%3A231_10403#page/200/mode/2up|title=1958 La Torre|publisher=San Jose State College|year=1958|page=200|accessdate=February 3, 2024}}</ref>