William Alden Smith Page 667 - William Alden Smith - He attended school until his parents moved to Grand Rapids. In this city he attended school, sold popcorn, was a newsboy, messenger boy, and in 1879 became page in the house of representatives at Lansing. He studied law in the office of Burch & Montgomery and was admitted to the bar in 1882. Mr. Smith practiced law alone for some time, but later became associated with Fredrick W. Stevens. This firm afterwards became Smiley, Smith & Stevens. Mr. Smith was attorney for the Detroit, Lansing & Northern Railroad Company when it built its first lines from Grand Ledge to Grand Rapids and continued their attorney until long after it was completed. He also became attorney for the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad. While in this practice, Mr. Smith became an expert on railroad law and finance. Mr. Smith was a member of congress 1895-97 and 1905-07. He was United States senator 1907-19. He was a member of the Republican State Central Committee 1888-90-92. In 1901 he was honored with the degree of Master of Arts by Dartmouth College. He was elected to the fifty-fourth, fifty-fifth, fifty-sixth, fifty-seventh, fifty-eighth and fifty-ninth congresses. He was re-elected to the sixtieth congress November 4, 1906. He was elected United States senator for a full term January 15, 1907, and elected senator to fill the unexpired term of the late Senator Russell A. Alger, February 5, 1907, and immediately resigned his seat in the house of representatives, entering upon his duties as senator, February 11, 1907. He was nominated at the primary election August 22, 1912, and elected by the legislatiure January 15, 1913, for the term ending March 4, 1913. Mr. Smith is a Republican in politics and in 1894 was elected to congress from the Fifth congressional district of Michigan. He was State Game and Fish Warden from 1887 to 1891. Mr. Smith was married in 1885 to Miss Nana Osterhout, of Grand Rapids. They had one son, William Alden Smith, Jr., now deceased.

Transcriber: Gloria Paas
Created: 3 April 2003