Charles Aurelius Smith (January 22, 1861April 1, 1916) was the 91st governor of South Carolina from January 14 to January 19, 1915. His term of five days stands as the shortest for any governor in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Biography

Born on January 22, 1861, in

Hertford County, North Carolina Hertford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,552. Its county seat is Winton. It is classified within the region known in the 21st century as the Inner Banks. History H ...

, Smith attended

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

and graduated in 1882. He moved to

Timmonsville, South Carolina Timmonsville is a town in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,320 at the 2010 census, an increase of five persons from 2000. It is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Timmonsville was fou ...

, the following year and began pursuing banking and business interests, eventually becoming the president of several banks in South Carolina. In addition, Smith served as president of the South Carolina Baptist Association and was a trustee of

Furman University Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became ...

and Greenville Women's College. Smith was elected to the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

in 1908 and was elected the 67th

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

two years later in 1911. Governor

Cole Blease Coleman Livingston Blease (October 8, 1868 – January 19, 1942) was an Americans, American politician of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party who served as the List of governors of South Carolina, 89th governor of South Carolina ...

resigned five days before the end of his second term on January 14, 1915. Smith succeeded to the governorship and only performed ceremonial functions during his five days in office. After serving as governor, Smith moved to

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

where he died on April 1, 1916. He was buried at Byrd Cemetery in Timmonsville and a large monument marks his grave. He and his wife, Fannie L. Byrd, had nine children. Smith was a Baptist. His home at Timmonsville, the Smith-Cannon House, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1983.

References

1861 births 1916 deaths 19th-century American politicians 19th-century Baptists 20th-century American politicians 20th-century Baptists People from Hertford County, North Carolina Baptists from North Carolina Wake Forest University alumni Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Democratic Party governors of South Carolina Lieutenant Governors of South Carolina Maryland Democrats {{SouthCarolina-politician-stub