William Smith was an American lawyer and politician who served as a

Populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develop ...

member of the

Oregon Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

from 1899 until 1903. He was also the Fusion ( Democratic and Populist) nominee for

Oregon's 2nd congressional district Oregon's 2nd congressional district is the largest of Oregon's six districts, and is the seventh largest district in the nation. It is the second-largest congressional district in the nation that does not cover an entire state. The district ...

in 1900. Smith lost to incumbent Republican Malcolm A. Moody in a four-way race, receiving 32% of the vote. He practiced law with the firm Hart & Smith from 1904 until 1906. In April 1903, Smith was appointed to the Board of Regents of the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

by Governor George E. Chamberlain, and was still serving as late as 1915.

Early life

William Smith was born on April 22, 1854, in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. He was one of five children of William and Susan Davies (Thomas) Smith. When Smith was in his early childhood, his family moved to

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

References

1854 births Place of birth missing 20th-century deaths Oregon state senators Oregon Populists Politicians from Baker City, Oregon Oregon lawyers University of Oregon people {{Oregon-politician-stub