R. E. Smith

Article summary

Robert Everett Smith (August 28, 1894 – November 29, 1973) was an American oilman, real estate developer and rancher based in Houston. In 1957, Smith was included in Fortune magazine's list of the seventy-six richest Americans. He was listed by author Kenneth Lamott in 1969 as one of the "Great Big New Rich".

Key claims

1. date of foundation: 1955 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of foundation is "1955". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
4. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1318272280