Frederick Cleveland Smith (July 29, 1884 – July 16, 1956) was an American physician and politician who served six terms as a
Republican member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
from 1939 to 1951.
Early life and career
Frederick C. Smith was born in
Shanesville, Ohio
Sugarcreek is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. It includes the community formerly known as Shanesville. The population was 2,220 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is kno ...
. He graduated in
osteopathic medicine
Osteopathy () is a type of alternative medicine that emphasizes physical manipulation of the body's muscle tissue and bones. Practitioners of osteopathy are referred to as osteopaths.
Osteopathic manipulation is the core set of techniques in ...
at
Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville is the county seat and most populous city in Adair County, Missouri. Located in Benton Township, its population was 17,530 at the 2020 census. Kirksville is home to two colleges: Truman State University and A.T. Still University.
...
, and practiced there for several years. He went abroad and continued his study of medicine in
Frankfurt, Germany, and in
Vienna, Austria
en, Viennese
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.
In 1917 was licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the State of Ohio and commenced practice at
Marion, Ohio
Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Ohio, Marion County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus.
The population was 35,999 at the 2020 United S ...
. He was mayor of
Marion, Ohio
Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Ohio, Marion County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus.
The population was 35,999 at the 2020 United S ...
, from January 1936 until January 1, 1939, when he resigned.
Smith founded the Frederick C. Smith Clinic in Marion, which brought together doctors in various fields in a practice that benefited from each doctor's specialty. The original clinic was located on East Church Street. The concern continues in Marion, Ohio, and still bears the name of Dr. Smith.
Tenure in Congress
Smith was elected as a Republican to the
Seventy-sixth and to the five succeeding Congresses. He supported $7 billion in aid to Britain, Lend-Lease, and the 1941 amendment to the Neutrality Act to remove restrictions that forbade U.S. vessels from entering combat zones and US citizens from sailing on vessels of belligerents. He also denounced "isolationism" and took a staunchly "pro-British" position in between the "fall of France" in the summer of 1940 and the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, during which time Great Britain was essentially alone. During that time period Smith spoke in favor of aiding Britain as much as possible. It was said in the early 1950s that while in Congress, Smith "would invariably draw 'zero' ratings from the
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) is a liberal American political organization advocating progressive policies. ADA views itself as supporting social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research, and supporting prog ...
and other
leftist
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
groups." By one measure, he was the most conservative member of Congress between 1937 and 1970, and the sixth most conservative overall since 1937.
Is John Kerry A Liberal?
(accessed January 20, 2012) He was not a candidate for renomination in 1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.
* January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...
.
Death
He resumed his medical profession and died in Marion, Ohio, on July 16, 1956. Interment in Marion Cemetery.
Sources
*
The Political Graveyard
*
References
1884 births
1956 deaths
People from Tuscarawas County, Ohio
People from Marion, Ohio
American osteopathic physicians
Mayors of places in Ohio
Old Right (United States)
20th-century American politicians
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio
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