Antanas Smetona was born in the village of Uzulenis of the present Ukmerge District on August 10, 1874. After finishing elementary school in Taujenai, he studied in Ukrnerge and Liepaja, Palanga, the Mintauja gymnasium. Here together with J. Jablonskis, V. Kudirka and others he belonged to a secret Lithuanian organization. In the autumn of 1896 he organized the resistance of students against the obligatory attendance of the Orthodox church. It was the reason for his dismissing from the gymnasium, but some time later he was allowed to study at Gymnasium No. 9 in St. Petersburg. After completing it, he joined the activities of the secret Lithuanian Student Organization, was its chairman, got concerned with the publishing and dissemination of Lithuanian books. In 1899, for organizing students' protest against the restriction of rights, he was dismissed from University, incarcerated for two weeks and sent to Vilnius. Shortly afterwards he returned to St. Petersburg and continued his studies. More than once he was arrested for his activities related to Lithuania. In 1902 A. Smetona graduated from the University and began to work in Vilnius at the Land Bank. Two years later he got married to Soflja Chodakauskaite.
From the very first days while in Vilnius A. Smetona got actively involved in the activities of Lithuanians, belonged to the Lithuanian Democratic Party, which he represented in the Great Seimas and was elected into its Presidium. In 1904 and 1907 he was on the staff of Vilniaus Zinios (The Vilnius News), in 1905-1906 edited the weekly Lietuvos ukininkas (The Lithuanian Farmer). In I907 he together with Rev. J. Tumas established a venture for publishing the newspaper Viltis (The Hope) and started publishing it. In Viltis A.Smetona advocated national unity: he was also one of the incorporators of the Ausra (Dawn) company for the publishing of Lithuanian books, a member of the Lithuanian Mutual Aid Society of Vilnius, the Lithuanian Learned Society, the Vilniaus ausra (The Dawn of Vilnius) and Rytas (The Morning) education societies, the Ruta Art Society and many other societies, taught the Lithuanian language at Vilnius schools. In 1914 he started publishing Vairas (The Rudder), a new bi-weekly magazine. In its first issue he wrote: "All of us are joined together by the background of national culture, on which we stand and on which we would like to see others standing..."
At the outbreak of World War I A. Smetona began to work with the Lithuanian Relief Society, got engaged in supporting those who suffered during the war. After its Central Committee Chairman M. Ycas left for Russia, A. Smetona was elected Chairman of the Society. As previously he participated actively in the activities of the Lithuanian Learned Society. In the summer of 1916 A. Smetona, together with other Lithuanians from Vilnius, presented a memorandum to the German Chief Commander of the Eastern War, in a short while the other one, in which he demanded the right to the Lithuanian nation to have an independent state. On September 6, 1917, he started publishing the newspaper Lietuvos aidds (Lithuania's Echo), worked as its publisher and editor-in-chief In the first issue of the newspaper A. Smetona wrote that the most important goal of the Lithuanian nation was the reestablishment of an independent Lithuanian state. At the same time he was one of the main organizers of the Lithuanian Conference in Vilnius (September 18-23), a member of its presidium, and at the conference was elected to the Council of Lithuania (later the State Council), became its chairman. On February 16, 1918, A. Smetona together with other members of the Council signed the Independence Act.
A. Smetona, however, was an advocate of agreements with Germany. In December 1918-March 1919 he mostly lived in Germany, the Scandinavian countries, solicited loans for Lithuania. On April 4, 1919, the State Council of Lithuania elected A. Smetona the first President of the Republic of Lithuania. On April 19, 1920, the Constituent Seimas elected Aleksandras Stulginskis President.
A. Smetona, not elected to the Seimas, got engaged mostly in journalism: edited the newspapers of the Party of National Progress, Lietuvos balsas (The Voice of Lithuania), Lietuviskas balsas (The Lithuanian Voice), Vairas (The Rudder) and many others. For some time he worked as a commissioner of the government in the Klaipeda Territory, but due to disagreements with Prime Minister E. Galvanauskas he resigned from his post. In 1923-1927 he performed the duties of the Assistant Professor at the University of Lithuania - at first at the Chair of Art Theory and History and later at the Philosophy Chair. He lectured on ethics, antique philosophy, gave lectures on Lithuanian stylistics, etc. In 1932 at the Vytautas Magnus University he was awarded the degree of an honorary doctor of philosophy.
A. Smetona participated in the activity of the Lithuanian Riflemen Union. More than once he was elected to its central board.
On December 17, 1926, having become President of the Republic, he travelled much throughout Lithuania, explaining the strivings of the new authorities at meetings. On May 15, 1928, with the approval of the government, he promulgated a new constitution of the Lithuanian state with more extensive presidential powers.
In 1930-1931 A. Smetona's publicistic collected works in four volumes were published. The works proved once again that A. Smetona was one of the most prominent Lithuanian publicists and best stylists. His language was clear, flexible, correct and rich in words. A. Smetona's collected works are also certain landmarks in Lithuanian national ideology. In 1935 the first volume of A. Smetona's new collected works Pasakyta parasyta (Speeches and Statements) was published, the second volume was also prepared for publication, but there was no time for publishing it before the Soviet occupation. A. Smetona, though propagandizing nationalism, repudiated both Italian fascism and German National Socialism. He strove to create a unique form of governing for Lithuania, which, to his mind, would suit best the character of the nation and would foster most strongly the spiritual culture and welfare of the nation.
In the summer of 1940, after the USSR presented an ultimatum to Lithuania, A. Smetona proposed armed resistance against the USSR. But with no approval of the major part of the government and the commander of the army, A. Smetona turned his duties over to Prime Minister A. Merkys, and on June 15 he and his family retreated secretly to Germany. After a few months he moved to Switzer land, to Bern. At the beginning of I941 he and his family came to the USA, started residing in Cleveland with his son Julius' family. While here, he wrote many articles, started to write a work on the history of Lithuania, extensive memoirs. But his sudden death in a fire at home on January 9, 1944 interrupted with all his works and plans. A. Smetona was buried in the Cleveland cemetery (the USA).