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Lawrence H. Smith

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Lawrence H. Smith
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 1st district
In office
August 29, 1941 – January 22, 1958
Preceded byStephen Bolles
Succeeded byGerald T. Flynn
Personal details
BornSeptember 15, 1892
Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedJanuary 22, 1958(1958-01-22) (aged 65)
United States Capitol, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Cause of deathHeart attack
Resting placeWest Lawn Memorial Park, Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Eleanor J. Rowley
​
​
(m. 1917⁠–⁠1958)​
Children3
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1917–1919
Rank1st Lieutenant, USA
Unit32nd Div. U.S. Infantry
Battles/warsWorld War I

Lawrence Henry Smith (September 15, 1892 – January 22, 1958) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Racine, Wisconsin. He served 16 years in the United States House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 1st congressional district from 1941 until his death in 1958.[1]

Early life

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Lawrence Smith was born in Racine, Wisconsin.[2] He attended the Racine public schools and then attended Milwaukee State Teachers College. He took a break from his education during World War I and served as an officer in the 32nd U.S. Infantry Division from 1917 to 1919. After returning from the war, he attended Marquette University Law School, where he graduated in 1923. He was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced the practice of law in Racine, Wisconsin.[1]

Early political career

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Smith quickly rose to prominence in the Racine legal community as a member of the law firm of then-district attorney Thorvald Beck. He made his first run for county office in 1924, when he ran as an independent Republican candidate for district attorney, but came in a distant third in the general election.[3][4] Smith subsequently became a partner to Beck in a law firm known as Beck, Smith, & Heft.

Smith also became active in the American Legion and other local associations, and was chairman of the Racine chapter of the American Legion by 1926 and president of the county bar association. In 1937, he was elected commander of the Wisconsin department of the American Legion.[5] Smith only served a year as commander, but remained active in the American Legion, and in 1939 he was advocating within the organization for an isolationist foreign policy in the face of another potential European war.[6]

In Congress

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On July 8, 1941, Wisconsin congressman Stephen Bolles died in office, necessitating a special election to fill the rest of his term in the 77th United States Congress. Smith quickly entered the race for the Republican nomination. Foreign policy was the main issue in the election, as France had recently fallen to Germany and the United Kingdom was suffering under The Blitz. Smith continued to oppose the foreign policy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, but had switched to a more pragmatic position advocating the stockpiling of weaponry and war material in the United States, and endorsed the export of war material to the United Kingdom, though he still opposed any direct U.S. involvement in the war.[7] Smith narrowly prevailed in a crowded Republican primary, receiving 28% of the vote against six opponents.[8] He went on to face former congressman Thomas Ryum Amlie in the general election. Amlie, a former member of the Wisconsin Progressive Party, ran on strong support for Roosevelt's foreign policy. Smith won a resounding victory in the special election, receiving 63% of the vote.[8][9]

Smith immediately abandoned any lingering isolationist positions as soon as word arrived of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, three months after Smith won his election. According to newspapers at the time, Smith's messages to his constituents in Wisconsin disavowing his previous position came almost immediately after the arrival of the news of the attack.[10]

Smith went on to win re-election eight times, usually with landslide majorities.[11][12] His closest election was in 1948, when he received just 52% of the vote against former state representative Jack Harvey.[13]

Smith served for many years on the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs and his public statements were largely focused on foreign policy. After World War II, his foreign policy position gradually moved back toward isolationism, first with skepticism toward the Marshall Plan[14] and then stronger opposition to later foreign aid packages, notably opposing aide to Korea before the outbreak of the Korean War.[15] Smith was also an early advocate for arms control treaties to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and despite his opposition to many foreign aid packages, he was a staunch anti-communist.[16]

On domestic policy, Smith was opposed the growing power of the federal government and advocated for cutting federal spending. He also introduced an amendment to the United States Constitution to replace lifetime appointments for federal judges with ten year terms.[17] Toward the end of his life he voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.[18]

Smith died of a sudden heart attack on January 22, 1958, while walking into the House cafeteria in the United States Capitol. He was rushed to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, but was pronounced dead. His body was returned to Wisconsin and interred at West Lawn Memorial Park in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin.[2]

Personal life and family

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Lawrence Smith married Eleanor J. Rowley in 1917. They were married in Texas, where Smith was then going through induction into the Army for service in World War I. They had three children together. Eleanor was deeply involved in Lawrence's work for nearly his entire career, playing a leading role in the women's auxiliary in the American Legion, and then working as a staffer in his congressional office.[19] After Lawrence Smith's sudden death, his wife stood for election to his seat in 1958, but she lost the general election to Democrat Gerald T. Flynn.

Electoral history

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Racine District Attorney (1924)

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Racine County District Attorney Election, 1924[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1924
Republican Louis D. Potter 13,325 54.46%
Independent Republican George S. Lavin 5,901 24.12%
Independent Republican Lawrence H. Smith 3,618 14.79%
Democratic Theodore W. Waller 1,625 6.64%
Plurality 7,424 30.34%
Total votes 24,469 100.0%
Republican hold

U.S. House (1941–1956)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1941 Primary[8] Aug. 8 Lawrence H. Smith Republican 3,896 28.61% George R. Cady Rep. 2,867 21.05% 13,619 1,029
Glenn W. Birkett Rep. 2,495 18.32%
Richard G. Harvey Rep. 1,459 10.71%
Burger M. Engebretson Rep. 1,387 10.18%
Harvey C. Hansen Rep. 1,141 8.38%
Gordon T. Whittet Rep. 374 2.75%
Special[8] Aug. 29 Lawrence H. Smith Republican 29,638 63.62% Thomas R. Amlie Dem. 16,949 36.38% 46,587 12,689
1942 General[11] Nov. 3 Lawrence H. Smith (inc) Republican 46,453 71.92% Bernard F. Magruder Dem. 16,848 26.08% 64,589 29,605
Walter G. Benson Soc. 1,275 1.97%
1944 General[12] Nov. 7 Lawrence H. Smith (inc) Republican 74,223 74.80% John K. Kyle Dem. 24,013 24.20% 99,230 50,210
Victor Cooks Soc. 978 0.99%
1946 General[20] Nov. 5 Lawrence H. Smith (inc) Republican 58,344 56.50% John R. Redstrom Dem. 44,188 42.79% 103,269 14,156
Lars P. Christensen Soc. 734 0.71%
1948 Primary[13] Sep. 21 Lawrence H. Smith (inc) Republican 28,749 69.58% Ben Marvin Rep. 8,440 20.43% 41,319 20,309
Edward J. Finan Rep. 4,130 10.00%
General[13] Nov. 2 Lawrence H. Smith (inc) Republican 67,387 51.92% Jack Harvey Dem. 61,791 47.61% 129,783 5,596
John C. Spence Soc. 604 0.47%
1950 General[21] Nov. 7 Lawrence H. Smith (inc) Republican 70,883 57.18% Jack Harvey Dem. 53,071 42.81% 123,965 17,812
1952 General[22] Nov. 4 Lawrence H. Smith (inc) Republican 99,742 59.37% Arnie W. Agnew Dem. 68,269 40.63% 168,013 31,473
1954 General[23] Nov. 4 Lawrence H. Smith (inc) Republican 65,562 54.44% Edward A. Krenzke Dem. 54,864 45.56% 120,427 10,698
1956 General[24] Nov. 6 Lawrence H. Smith (inc) Republican 94,882 57.06% Gerald T. Flynn Dem. 71,379 42.93% 166,277 23,503

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1958). "Biographies". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1958 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. p. 14. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "First District Congressman Is Heart Victim". Janesville Daily Gazette. January 22, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved July 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Smith is Asked to Run for Dist. Atty". Racine Journal Times. September 27, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Coolidge Carries Racine County by Plurality of 1,742". Racine Journal Times. November 8, 1924. p. 4. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "L. H. Smith, Racine, New Commander". Wisconsin State Journal. August 11, 1937. p. 3. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "'Mind Our Own Business', Racine Legion Post Asks". Wisconsin State Journal. April 15, 1939. p. 8. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Lawrence Smith". Racine Journal Times. July 16, 1941. p. 17. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c d Ohm, Howard F.; Bryham, Leone G., eds. (1942). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1942 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 586, 664. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  9. ^ "Smith Wallops Amlie 7-4 in First District Election". Wisconsin State Journal. August 30, 1941. p. 1. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "GOP to Urge More Work Efficiency". Wisconsin State Journal. December 13, 1941. p. 6. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1944). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1944 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 509, 577. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1946). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1946 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 596, 670. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  13. ^ a b c Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1950). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1950 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 652, 754. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  14. ^ "Mr. Smith Hasn't Finally Decided". Racine Journal Times. October 28, 1947. p. 6. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Isolationists Mislead Stalin". The Capital Times. June 29, 1950. p. 38. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Smith Urges Pact on Atomic Weapons". Wisconsin State Journal. January 5, 1951. p. 8. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "10-Year Term Proposed for U.S. Supreme Court". Wisconsin State Journal. January 5, 1951. p. 8. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957". GovTrack.us.
  19. ^ Colbert, Lucy (April 5, 1950). "Experience is a Good Teacher, Congressman's Wife Discovers". Racine Journal Times. p. 16. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1948). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1948 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 605, 676. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  21. ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1952). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1952 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 675, 745. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  22. ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1954). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1954 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 657, 758. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  23. ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1956). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1956 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 704, 747. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  24. ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1958). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1958 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 668, 774. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district
August 29, 1941 – January 22, 1958 		Succeeded by
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