Frank Smith (c. 1849 – February 13, 1921) was an American dentist and Republican politician from Madison, Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing central Dane County during the 1909 session.
Frank Smith | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Dane 1st district | |
| In office January 4, 1909 – January 2, 1911 | |
| Preceded by | Elmore Elver |
| Succeeded by | Cornelius A. Harper |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1849 Ripley, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | February 13, 1921 (aged 71–72) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Greenwood Cemetery, Brodhead, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | married |
| Education | Chicago College of Dental Surgery |
| Profession | Dentist |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | late 1860s |
Biography
editFrank Smith was born in Ripley, Tennessee, in 1849. At age 17, just after the conclusion of the American Civil War, he enlisted in the United States Army and served a three-year term of enlistment. After his honorable discharge, he purchased a farm in Green County, Wisconsin. He remained on the farm for only a few years, then spent four years working as a traveling salesman. Beginning in the late 1870s, he worked for nine years as an engineer for the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin.[1]
He then moved to Chicago, where he entered the Chicago College of Dental Surgery, graduating in 1894. He practiced for several years as a dentist in Chicago before returning to Madison in 1901.[1]
In 1902, he was elected to the Madison city council, running on the Republican ticket. He was re-elected in 1904.[1]
In 1908, he ran for Wisconsin State Assembly under the new Primary election system. He prevailed in the primary over two opponents, including the last Republican representative of the district—Ernest Warner. He went on to win the general election with 43% of the vote, defeating the incumbent Democrat Elmore Elver.[1] He served during the 49th Wisconsin Legislature and ran for re-election in 1910, but was defeated in the Republican primary by Madison physician Cornelius A. Harper.[2]
Smith died at his home in downtown Madison, Wisconsin, on February 3, 1921, after suffering a year of illness.[3]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Assembly (1908, 1910)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Primary, September 8, 1908 | |||||
| Republican | Frank Smith | 1,432 | 48.61% | ||
| Republican | Ernest Warner | 1,130 | 38.36% | ||
| Republican | H. C. Duke | 382 | 12.97% | ||
| Republican | William J. McKay | 2 | 0.07% | ||
| Plurality | 302 | 10.25% | |||
| Total votes | 2,946 | 100.0% | |||
| General Election, November 3, 1908 | |||||
| Republican | Frank Smith | 3,217 | 43.00% | +8.83% | |
| Democratic | Elmore Elver (incumbent) | 2,923 | 39.07% | +1.69% | |
| Independent | William J. McKay | 1,307 | 17.47% | −10.99% | |
| Social Democratic | William T. Boorman | 35 | 0.47% | ||
| Plurality | 294 | 3.93% | +0.72% | ||
| Total votes | 7,482 | 100.0% | +35.62% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | 7.14% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Primary, September 6, 1910 | |||||
| Republican | Cornelius A. Harper | 2,327 | 62.67% | ||
| Republican | Frank Smith (incumbent) | 1,386 | 37.33% | −11.28% | |
| Plurality | 941 | 25.34% | +15.09% | ||
| Total votes | 3,713 | 100.0% | +26.04% | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Beck, J. D., ed. (1909). "Biographical Sketches". The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 1113. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ a b "Nelson's Lead is 1,738". Wisconsin State Journal. September 17, 1910. p. 7. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dr. Frank Smith is Dead; Ill for Year". Wisconsin State Journal. February 14, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.