William Robert Smith (August 18, 1863 – August 16, 1924) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician who served seven terms as a

United States 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 ...

from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

from 1903 to 1917. He also served as a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

of the

United States District Court for the Western District of Texas The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (in case citations, W.D. Tex.) is a federal district court. The court convenes in San Antonio with divisions in Austin, Del Rio, El Paso, Midland, Pecos, and Waco. It has juri ...

from 1917 to 1924.

Education and career

Born on August 18, 1863, near

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

in Smith County,

, Smith attended the country schools, then graduated from Sam Houston Normal Institute (now

Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University (SHSU or Sam) is a public university in Huntsville, Texas. It was founded in 1879 and is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools west of the Mississippi River and ...

) in 1883 and

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1885. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Tyler from 1885 to 1888, then moved in February 1888 to Colorado City, Mitchell County, Texas and continued private practice from 1888 to 1897. He was a Judge of the

Texas District Court The Texas District Courts form part of the Texas judicial system and are the trial courts of general jurisdiction of Texas. As of January 2019, 472 district courts serve the state, each with a single judge, elected by partisan election to a four- ...

for the Thirty-Second Judicial District from 1897 to 1903.

Congressional service

Smith was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

United States 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

of the

58th United States Congress The 58th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC, from March 4, 1903, to ...

and to the six succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1903, to March 3, 1917. He was Chairman of the Committee on Irrigation of Arid Lands in the 62nd through

64th United States Congress The 64th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1915, to M ...

es. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1916. He moved to

El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...

, Texas in October 1916 and returned to the private practice of law.

Federal judicial service

Smith was nominated by President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

on April 11, 1917, to the

, to a new seat authorized by 39 Stat. 938. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on April 12, 1917, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on August 16, 1924, due to his death in

, Texas. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso.

References

Sources

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, William Robert 1863 births 1924 deaths Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas United States district court judges appointed by Woodrow Wilson 20th-century American judges Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Politicians from El Paso, Texas