Martin Luther Smyser (April 3, 1851 – May 6, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served two non consecutive terms as a

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

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 ...

Biography

Born on a farm in

Plain Township, Wayne County, Ohio Plain Township is one of the sixteen townships of Wayne County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,894 people in the township. Geography Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships: * Chester Township ...

, Smyser attended the common schools and was graduated from

Wittenberg College Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. It has 1,326 full-time students representing 33 states and 9 foreign countries. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ...

Springfield, Ohio Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County, Ohio, Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River (Ohio), Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, approxim ...

, in 1870. He studied law at Wooster under Lyman R. Critchfield. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1872 and practiced in Wooster. In 1873 he entered into partnership with Addison S. McClure. Smyser was elected prosecuting attorney of Wayne County in 1872 and served one term. He served as delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1884 and 1888. Smyser was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Fifty-first Congress (March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890 to the Fifty-second Congress. He resumed the practice of law in Wooster. He was appointed to the

Ohio District Courts of Appeals The Ohio District Courts of Appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the U.S. state of Ohio. The Ohio Constitution provides for courts of appeals that have jurisdiction to review final appealable orders. There are twelve appellate districts ...

, January 15, 1898, by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Bushnell. Smyser was elected as a

to the Fifty-ninth Congress (March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1907). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1906 to the Sixtieth Congress. He continued the practice of law in

Wooster, Ohio Wooster ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. Located in northeastern Ohio, the city lies approximately south-southwest of Cleveland, southwest of Akron and west of Canton. The population was 27,232 at t ...

, until his death in that city May 6, 1908. He was interred in Wooster Cemetery.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smyser, Martin Luther 1851 births 1908 deaths County district attorneys in Ohio Ohio lawyers People from Wayne County, Ohio Wittenberg University alumni 19th-century American politicians People from Wooster, Ohio Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio