James Skivring Smith (February 26, 1825 – 1892) was a Liberian politician who served as the sixth president of Liberia from 1871 to 1872. Prior to this, he served as the eighth

vice president of Liberia The vice president of the Republic of Liberia is the second-highest executive official in Liberia, and one of only two elected executive offices along with the president. The vice president is elected on the same ticket with the president to a ...

from 1870 to 1871 under President

Edward James Roye Edward James Roye (February 3, 1815 – February 11, 1872) served as the fifth president of Liberia from 1870 to his overthrow in 1871 and subsequent death. He had previously served as the fourth Chief Justice of Liberia from 1865 until 1868 ...

and as Secretary of State from 1856 to 1860 in the cabinet of President

Stephen Allen Benson Stephen Allen Benson (May 21, 1816 – January 24, 1865) was a Liberian politician who served as the second president of Liberia from 1856 to 1864. Prior to that, he served as the third vice president of Liberia from 1854 to 1856 under President J ...

. He was a member of the

True Whig Party The True Whig Party (TWP), also known as the Liberian Whig Party (LWP), is the oldest List of political parties in Liberia, political party in Liberia and one of the oldest parties in Africa. Founded in 1869 by primarily darker-skinned Americo-L ...

. Smith was born in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

in 1825 to a family of free blacks. He arrived with his family in

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

in 1833, and his parents died of

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

within a year. As a young man, he trained under Dr. James W. Lugenbeel, a medical doctor of the

American Colonization Society The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America until 1837, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the migration of freebor ...

. He then returned to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

to study medicine at the

University of Vermont College of Medicine The Robert Larner College of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Vermont, a public research university in Burlington, Vermont. Established in 1822, it is the nation's seventh oldest medical school. The primary teaching hospital for ...

. He transferred to

Berkshire Medical College Berkshire Medical College (originally the Berkshire Medical Institution, and sometimes referred to as Berkshire Medical College) was a medical school in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It is notable for establishing the first professorship in mental d ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, graduating with his

medical degree A medical degree is a professional degree admitted to those who have passed coursework in the fields of medicine and/or surgery from an accredited medical school. Obtaining a degree in medicine allows for the recipient to continue on into special ...

in 1848. He was the second

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

to receive a

Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin language, Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a profes ...

from an American medical school, after

David J. Peck David Jones Peck (c. 1826–1855) was an American physician. He was the first African American to receive a Doctor of Medicine from an American medical school. He graduated in 1847 from Rush Medical College in Chicago. Biography Peck, a native o ...

a year earlier. After graduating, he returned to the newly independent

to work as a physician. In 1855, Smith was elected to the Senate, representing

Grand Bassa County Grand Bassa is a county in the west-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has eight districts. Buchanan serves as the capital with ...

. From 1856 to 1860, he was Secretary of State under President

. In the 1869 presidential election, Smith was elected vice president alongside President

. He and Roye were the first True Whig politicians to hold their respective offices. In 1871, after Roye was forced out of office, Smith served as president for the remainder of Roye's term. His two-month presidency remains the shortest in Liberian history. At the end of his presidential term, Smith returned home to Buchanan, and served as Superintendent of

from 1874 to 1884. His son

James Skivring Smith Jr. James Skivring Smith Jr. (1891–1950) was a Liberian politician who served as the 21st vice president of Liberia from 1930 to 1944 under President Edwin Barclay. Prior to this, Smith served as superintendent of Grand Bassa County from 1924 to ...

went on to serve as vice president from 1930 to 1944.

Early life and education

Smith was born in

on February 26, 1825, the fourth of seven children of free blacks Carlos and Catharine Smith. He and his family arrived in

in 1833, and his parents died of

within one year of their arrival. After working with a white doctor of the

, Smith returned to the United States to study medicine at the

. He transferred to the

Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield� ...

, from which he received his

in 1848. He was the second African American to graduate from a medical school in the United States, after

, who graduated from

Rush Medical College Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, located in the Illinois Medical District, about 3 km (2 miles) west of the Loop in Chicago. Offering a full-time Doctor of Medicine program, the school was chartered in 1837, and ...

in 1847. He then returned to the newly independent Liberia, working for the ACS as a doctor.

Politics

Smith served as Secretary of State from 1856 to 1860 and was later elected as a senator from

from 1868 to 1869. In the 1869 presidential election, Smith was elected vice president under President

. The two were the first True Whig politicians to hold their respective offices. On October 26, 1871, President Roye was forcibly removed from office after unconstitutionally extending his term, leading Smith to serve the remaining two months of Roye's term as president. Smith's tenure as president remains the shortest in Liberian history. After stepping down as president, Smith returned to Buchanan and served as Superintendent of Grand Bassa County from 1874 to 1884.Library of Congress website
/ref> Smith's son,

, later became a successful politician in Liberia, also serving as Superintendent of Grand Bassa County and as vice president from 1930 to 1944.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, James Skivring Year of death uncertain 1825 births 1892 deaths 19th-century American physicians 19th-century Liberian politicians 19th-century Liberian physicians African-American physicians Americo-Liberian people American emigrants to Liberia Berkshire Medical College alumni Members of the Senate of Liberia Foreign Ministers of Liberia People from Buchanan, Liberia Physicians from South Carolina Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina Presidents of Liberia Vice presidents of Liberia True Whig Party politicians 19th-century African-American people