Thomas Henry Smith (30 September 1854 – 17 September 1936) was an American politician and lawyer. Smith, known as Tobe,
/ref> was born on 30 September 1854 to Paris S. and Nancy Jane Smith, who were living in

Appanoose County, Iowa Appanoose County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,317. Its county seat is Centerville. History Appanoose County was formed on February 17, 1843, from open territory. It was named for the ...

, at the time. His mother was originally from West Virginia, and his father was raised in Ohio. Smith's great-grandfather was an American Revolutionary War veteran. Smith himself grew up in Davis County, and later studied at the Southern Iowa Normal School in Bloomfield. Upon turning eighteen, Smith began teaching country school and read law with M. H. Jones, a Bloomfield lawyer. Five years later, Smith passed the bar exam and moved to

Harlan Harlan is a given name and a surname which may refer to: Surname *Bob Harlan (born 1936 Robert E. Harlan), American football executive *Bruce Harlan (1926–1959), American Olympic diver *Byron B. Harlan (1886–1949), American politician *Byron G ...

on horseback to practice law alongside George W. Cullison, his former instructor at the Southern Iowa Normal School. Smith married Josephine Wonn in 1880, with whom he raised three daughters. From 1886 to 1888, Smith served as Shelby County attorney, after which he became Harlan's city attorney. He was subsequently elected to the Harlan school board for a single term as a member, and the body's president. Smith was active in party politics as well, serving two terms on the central committee of Shelby County's

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. In 1910, Smith was elected to one four-year term, representing

District 17 A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

of the Iowa Senate. He had previously run for the office in 1897, and lost to Joseph Martin Emmert by eleven votes. Smith died in Harlan on 17 September 1936.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Thomas Henry People from Harlan, Iowa People from Bloomfield, Iowa People from Appanoose County, Iowa 1854 births 1936 deaths Schoolteachers from Iowa 19th-century American educators Republican Party Iowa state senators 20th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers District attorneys in Iowa Iowa city attorneys 19th-century American politicians School board members in Iowa