Edward Curtis Smith | |
---|---|
47th Governor of Vermont | |
In office October 6, 1898 – October 4, 1900 | |
Lieutenant | Henry C. Bates |
Preceded by | Josiah Grout |
Succeeded by | William W. Stickney |
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from St. Albans Town | |
In office 1890–1892 | |
Preceded by | Henry M. Stevens |
Succeeded by | William H. Hunt |
Personal details | |
Born | St. Albans Town, Vermont | January 5, 1854
Died | April 6, 1935 St. Albans City, Vermont | (aged 81)
Resting place | Greenwood Cemetery, St. Albans Town, Vermont |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Anna Bailey James |
Education |
Yale University
AB, 1875 Columbia Law School LL.B., 1877 |
Profession | Attorney Businessman |
Edward Curtis Smith (January 5, 1854 – April 6, 1935) was an American attorney, businessman, and politician from Vermont. A Republican, he was most notable for his service as the 47th governor of Vermont from 1898 to 1900.
Edward Curtis Smith was born in St. Albans Town, Vermont, on January 5, 1854. [1] The Smith family was one of Vermont's most prominent, with business holdings in railroads, manufacturing and other enterprises. [2] Smith's father J. Gregory Smith served as Governor of Vermont, [2] and his mother Ann Eliza (Brainerd) Smith was a noted author. [3]
Smith's uncle Worthington Smith served in Congress. [4] His grandfathers were also involved in politics, with John Smith serving in the United States House of Representatives [2] and Lawrence Brainerd serving in the United States Senate. [4] An uncle by marriage, Farrand Stewart Stranahan, served as Lieutenant governor of Vermont. [4]
Smith attended the schools of St. Albans and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. [1] He graduated from Yale University in 1875, where he was a member of the Skull and Bones Society. [5] Smith received his LL.B. degree from Columbia Law School in 1877, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in St. Albans. [1]
In addition to practicing law, Smith was active in several of the family's businesses. [1] He succeeded his father as president of the Central Vermont Railroad. [1] He was also president of Welden National Bank, and was a founder of People's Trust Bank of St. Albans and the Sherman National Bank in New York City. [1] His other holdings included an ammunition manufacturing company and various mining ventures. [1]
In 1876 Smith enlisted in Company D, 1st Vermont Militia Regiment (the Ransom Guards), in which he served for several years. [1] He attained the rank of colonel while serving on the military staff of Governor Samuel E. Pingree from 1884 to 1886. [1]
A Republican, Smith was elected as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives in 1890. [1] He served from 1890 to 1892, and held a leadership role as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. [1] In 1892 he declined the Republican nomination for Vermont State Senator from Franklin County. [1] He was a delegate to the 1896 Republican National Convention. [1]
In 1898 Smith received the Republican nomination for governor. [1] As the Republican nominee in a state that elected only Republicans to statewide office from the 1850s to the 1960s, Smith easily won the general election. [6] [7] He served the single two-year term available to governors under the " Mountain Rule". [7]
As governor, Smith was a strong opponent of all efforts to regulate or tax corporations. [8] In 1899 he officiated at the welcome ceremony in Montpelier for Admiral George Dewey, hero of the Spanish–American War and a native of Montpelier. [9] Smith also organized Old Home Week, the fair and festival designed to celebrate rural life and Vermont roots of Americans living in other states. [10]
After serving as governor, Smith returned to his railroad, manufacturing and banking interests. [1] [4] Smith was active in lineage societies such as the Society of Colonial Wars and the Sons of the American Revolution, and in the Vermont Historical Society. [1] In 1901 he received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Norwich University. [1]
Smith died in St. Albans City on April 6, 1935. [11] He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in St. Albans. [11]
On October 3, 1888, Smith married Anna Bailey James, the granddaughter of Amaziah Bailey James. [1] They were the parents of four children; James Gregory, Edward Fairchild, Curtis Ripley and Anna Dorothea Bradford. [1]