Abraham Herr Smith (March 7, 1815 – February 16, 1894) was an American politician who served 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 ...

member of the

U.S. 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

for

Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district is located in the east central part of the state and encompasses all of Carbon County, Columbia County, Lebanon County, Montour County, and Schuylkill County, as well as parts of Berks County, Luzern ...

from 1873 to 1885.

Early life and education

Smith was born near

Millersville, Pennsylvania Millersville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 7,629 and in 2021 it was estimated at 7,593. Geography Millersville is located in central Lancaster County at (40.006148, -76.35134 ...

to Jacob Smith and Elizabeth Herr. His parents died when he was eight years old and he was raised by his paternal grandparents. He attended Professor Beck's Academy at

Lititz, Pennsylvania Lititz is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, north of the city of Lancaster. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 9,370. History Lititz was founded by members of the Moravian Church in 1756 and was named af ...

, studied at Harrington College, and then graduated from

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...

in 1840. After completing his law studies, he was admitted to the bar in 1842, and commenced practice in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...

Career

He served as a Whig member of the

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from 1843 to 1844 and in the

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...

for the 7th district from 1845 to 1848. Smith was elected as a Republican to the Forty-third and to the five succeeding Congresses. He served as chairman of the

United States House Committee on Mileage The United States House Committee on Mileage is a former standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The jurisdiction of the committee is described in Rule XI: "The ascertaining of the travel of Members of the House shall be m ...

during the Forty-seventh Congress, and served for six years on the War Claims Committee and the Appropriations Committee. An unsuccessful candidate for renomination in

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

, he resumed the practice of law, and died in Lancaster in 1894. He was interred in the

Woodward Hill Cemetery Woodward Hill Cemetery is a 32-acre historic rural or garden cemetery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The cemetery's creation was initiated by the Trinity Lutheran Church of Lancaster in October 1849. Land was subsequently purchased by the church, a ...

Legacy

The A. Herr Smith Memorial Hall in the Denny Hall building of the Union Philosophical Society at Dickinson College was named in his honor.

Notes

Sources

The Political Graveyard

External links

* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, A. Herr 1815 births 1894 deaths 19th-century American politicians Burials at Woodward Hill Cemetery Dickinson College alumni Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania lawyers Politicians from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators Pennsylvania Whigs People from Millersville, Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American lawyers