William Alden Smith
Encyclopedia
William Alden Smith was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state
of Michigan
.
and attended the common schools. He moved with his parents to Grand Rapids
in 1872, where he attended school, sold popcorn, and was a newsboy and messenger boy. He was appointed a page in the Michigan House of Representatives in 1875 (or 1879) at Lansing, Michigan
. He studied law in the office of Burch & Montgomery (Marsden C. Burch was a one-time U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan), studied law and was admitted to the bar
in 1882. Mr. Smith practiced law alone for some time, but later became associated with Fredrick W. Stevens. This firm afterwards became Smiley, Smith & Stevens. He was general counsel of the Chicago and West Michigan Railway
and the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad
. While in this practice, Mr. Smith became an expert on railroad law and finance. He was assistant secretary of the Michigan State Senate in 1883 and the State Game Warden 1887-1891, reportedly the first salaried state game warden in the nation. He was a member of the Republican State Central Committee from 1888 to 1892.
to the 54th United States Congress
and to the six succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1895, until his resignation, effective February 9, 1907, having been elected to the U.S. Senate. While in the House of Representatives
, Smith was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the State Department in the 56th Congress
, the Committee on Pacific Railroads in the 57th
and 58th Congresses
.
January 15, 1907, for the term beginning March 4, 1907. He was subsequently elected on February 6, 1907, to fill the vacancy in the term ending March 4, 1907, caused by the death of Russell A. Alger
. He was reelected in 1913, and served from February 9, 1907, to March 4, 1919. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1918. Smith was chairman of the Committee on Canadian Relations
in the 61st Congress
, the Committee on Territories in the 62nd Congress
, and the Select Committee to Examine Branches of the Civil Service in the 63rd
through 65th Congresses
.
in New York City
the day after the survivors landed. Senators and spectators heard dramatic testimony from the surviving passengers and crew. Smith's subcommittee issued a report on May 28 that led to significant reforms in international maritime safety. Smith achieved some notoriety for being more colorful than knowledgeable, even being called "Watertight Smith" by the British press for asking whether watertight compartments, actually meant to keep the ship afloat, were meant to shelter passengers. In his book on the investigation "The Other Side of the Night" Daniel Allen Butler notes that Smith had toured Titanic's sister RMS Olympic and knew full well what the watertight bulkheads did, but understood that the general public might not. Other questions were intended to force the officers and crew to answer in simple terms and not attempt to obsfuscate with technical jargon.
During the investigation, Smith wanted to press the point about the lessons of the Titanic disaster on the society he lived in at the time, at one point stating, "What this nation needs is a severe lesson that will strengthen the pillars of its faith. We are running mad with the lures of wealth, of power, and of business. We are setting society into castes, with the forces of wealth and power on one side and destitution and poverty on the other. It takes a terrible warning to bring us back to our moorings, and to our senses."
railroad in Michigan in 1897 and became owner of the Lowell and Hastings Railroad in 1900. In 1901 he was honored with the degree of Master of Arts by Dartmouth College
. He was owner and publisher of the Grand Rapids Herald in 1906 and chairman of the board of directors of a transit company operating a line of steamboats from Chicago
to various Lake Michigan
ports. Smith died in Grand Rapids and is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery there.
The community of Alden, Michigan
is named for him. Mr. Smith was married in 1885 to Nana Osterhout of Grand Rapids. They had one son, William Alden Smith, Jr.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Early career
Smith was born in Dowagiac, MichiganDowagiac, Michigan
Dowagiac is a city in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,147 at the 2000 census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and attended the common schools. He moved with his parents to Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
in 1872, where he attended school, sold popcorn, and was a newsboy and messenger boy. He was appointed a page in the Michigan House of Representatives in 1875 (or 1879) at Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
. He studied law in the office of Burch & Montgomery (Marsden C. Burch was a one-time U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan), studied law and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1882. Mr. Smith practiced law alone for some time, but later became associated with Fredrick W. Stevens. This firm afterwards became Smiley, Smith & Stevens. He was general counsel of the Chicago and West Michigan Railway
Chicago and West Michigan Railway
The Chicago and West Michigan Railway is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan between 1881 and 1899. It was one of the three companies which merged to become the Pere Marquette Railway....
and the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad
Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad
The Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad is a defunct railroad which was formed on December 27, 1876 as a reorganization of the foreclosed Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan Rail Road...
. While in this practice, Mr. Smith became an expert on railroad law and finance. He was assistant secretary of the Michigan State Senate in 1883 and the State Game Warden 1887-1891, reportedly the first salaried state game warden in the nation. He was a member of the Republican State Central Committee from 1888 to 1892.
Service in the House
Smith was elected as a Republican from the Michigan's 5th congressional districtMichigan's 5th congressional district
Michigan's 5th congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.It is currently a mostly industrial area , with Tuscola County being the main exception. It encompasses much of the area south of Saginaw Bay...
to the 54th United States Congress
54th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :...
and to the six succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1895, until his resignation, effective February 9, 1907, having been elected to the U.S. Senate. While in the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, Smith was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the State Department in the 56th Congress
56th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Garret Hobart , until November 21, 1899 , vacant thereafter.* President pro tempore: William P. Frye * Democratic Caucus Chairman: James K. Jones...
, the Committee on Pacific Railroads in the 57th
57th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:*Democratic: 151*Republican: 200 *Populist: 5*Silver : 1TOTAL members: 357-Leadership:-Senate:* President: Theodore Roosevelt , until September 14, 1901, vacant thereafter....
and 58th Congresses
58th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :* Republican : 209 * Democratic : 176* Silver Republican : 1TOTAL members: 386-Senate:* President: Vacant* President pro tempore: William P. Frye -Members:...
.
Service in the Senate
Smith was elected as a Republican to the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
January 15, 1907, for the term beginning March 4, 1907. He was subsequently elected on February 6, 1907, to fill the vacancy in the term ending March 4, 1907, caused by the death of Russell A. Alger
Russell A. Alger
Russell Alexander Alger was the 20th Governor and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan and also U.S. Secretary of War during the Presidential administration of William McKinley...
. He was reelected in 1913, and served from February 9, 1907, to March 4, 1919. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1918. Smith was chairman of the Committee on Canadian Relations
United States Senate Committee on Canadian Relations
The United States Senate Committee on Canadian Relations existed from July 31, 1888, when it was created as a select committee, until April 18, 1921, and dealt with issues related to U.S. relations with Canada. It became a standing committee on January 13, 1892.-Chairmen of the Select Committee on...
in the 61st Congress
61st United States Congress
The Sixty-first 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, 1909 to March 4, 1911, during the first two years of...
, the Committee on Territories in the 62nd Congress
62nd United States Congress
- House of Representatives :* Democratic : 230 * Republican : 162* Socialist : 1* Independent : 1TOTAL members: 394-Senate:* President: James S...
, and the Select Committee to Examine Branches of the Civil Service in the 63rd
63rd United States Congress
- House of Representatives:*Democratic : 291 *Republican : 134*Progressive : 9*Independent : 1TOTAL members: 435-Senate:*President of the Senate: Thomas R. Marshall*President pro tempore: James P. Clarke-Senate:...
through 65th Congresses
65th United States Congress
The Sixty-fifth 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, 1917 to March 4, 1919, during the fourth and fifth...
.
RMS Titanic Investigation
After the luxury liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, with more than 1,500 lives lost, Smith chaired Senate hearings that began at the Waldorf-Astoria HotelWaldorf-Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury hotel in New York. It has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York City. The first, designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
the day after the survivors landed. Senators and spectators heard dramatic testimony from the surviving passengers and crew. Smith's subcommittee issued a report on May 28 that led to significant reforms in international maritime safety. Smith achieved some notoriety for being more colorful than knowledgeable, even being called "Watertight Smith" by the British press for asking whether watertight compartments, actually meant to keep the ship afloat, were meant to shelter passengers. In his book on the investigation "The Other Side of the Night" Daniel Allen Butler notes that Smith had toured Titanic's sister RMS Olympic and knew full well what the watertight bulkheads did, but understood that the general public might not. Other questions were intended to force the officers and crew to answer in simple terms and not attempt to obsfuscate with technical jargon.
During the investigation, Smith wanted to press the point about the lessons of the Titanic disaster on the society he lived in at the time, at one point stating, "What this nation needs is a severe lesson that will strengthen the pillars of its faith. We are running mad with the lures of wealth, of power, and of business. We are setting society into castes, with the forces of wealth and power on one side and destitution and poverty on the other. It takes a terrible warning to bring us back to our moorings, and to our senses."
Other activities
Smith constructed the Grand Rapids, Kalkaska & SoutheasternGrand Rapids, Kalkaska and Southeastern Railroad
The Grand Rapids, Kalkaska and Southeastern Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in Northern Michigan toward the end of the 19th century. The company was founded on August 30, 1897 by William Alden Smith, a Republican politician and former general counsel of both the Chicago and West...
railroad in Michigan in 1897 and became owner of the Lowell and Hastings Railroad in 1900. In 1901 he was honored with the degree of Master of Arts by Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
. He was owner and publisher of the Grand Rapids Herald in 1906 and chairman of the board of directors of a transit company operating a line of steamboats from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to various Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
ports. Smith died in Grand Rapids and is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery there.
The community of Alden, Michigan
Alden, Michigan
Alden is an unincorporated community located in Helena Township in Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated at the southeast end of Torch Lake, about 20 miles northeast of Traverse City....
is named for him. Mr. Smith was married in 1885 to Nana Osterhout of Grand Rapids. They had one son, William Alden Smith, Jr.