John Alexander Smylie was born on July 26, 1861, in Union County, Arkansas. His parents were John Donan Smylie and Mary Jane (McCall) Smylie. His family moved back to the elder John Smylie's native Copiah County, Mississippi, when the younger John was 6 months old. His father, John Donan Smylie, had enlisted in the Confederate Army, and he died at the Battle of Iuka in 1862. John Alexander's mother died in 1863, leaving him an orphan. John Alexander Smylie was educated at various public schools. He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a B. A. degree in 1897. In 1905, he completed the law course at Millsaps College. He began practicing law in Hazlehurst 1905. He also was a teacher.