Charles Manley Smith

Charles Manley Smith (August 3, 1868 – August 12, 1937) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the 63rd Governor of Vermont from 1935 to 1937, and as the 58th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1933 to 1935.

Charles Manley Smith
63rd Governor of Vermont
In office January 10, 1935 – January 7, 1937
Lieutenant	George Aiken
Preceded by	Stanley C. Wilson
Succeeded by	George Aiken
58th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
In office 1933–1935
Governor	Stanley C. Wilson
Preceded by	Benjamin Williams
Succeeded by	George Aiken
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office 1931–1933
Member of the Vermont Senate
In office 1927–1929
Personal details
Born	(1868-08-03)August 3, 1868 West Rutland, Vermont
Died	August 12, 1937(1937-08-12) (aged 69) Rutland, Vermont
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Mary A. Stark (1864 -- 1935)[1]
Children	Dorothy Smith Mathews, Charlotte Smith Nicolet, Stark Smith
Profession	Banker, Insurance Executive

Life and career

Smith was born in West Rutland, Vermont on August 3, 1868. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1891[2] and served as private secretary to former Vermont Governor Redfield Proctor when Proctor was Secretary of War.[3]

Active in banking and insurance, Smith became President of Marble Savings Bank in 1920.[4]

A Republican, Smith served in the Vermont State Senate from 1927 to 1929.[5] He was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1931 to 1933, and was Ways and Means Committee Chairman.[6] He served as Lieutenant Governor from 1933 to 1935.[7]

Smith was elected Governor in 1934 and served from 1935 to 1937.[8] During his administration, the state legislature approved old age pension and unemployment compensation laws.[9]

In December, 1936 Smith and other Marble Bank officials were charged with fraud for failing to inform account holders and authorities about an embezzlement. In May, 1932 Smith had learned that his bank's bookkeeper had stolen $251,000. Smith let him leave quietly, kept the theft secret, and charged the loss against the bank's surplus.[10][11][12]

In July, 1935 the bookkeeper was named Rutland's Assistant City Treasurer and planned a candidacy for Treasurer. To prevent this, his opponents leaked word of the theft to the press. The bookkeeper was convicted and jailed, and the bank Treasurer received a suspended sentence and a $400 fine. Charges against most other parties were dismissed, and Smith was acquitted at his trial.[13]

Personal life

Smith married Mary Aurelia Stark and they had three children.

In 1936, Smith was injured in a car accident and his health began to decline. He became ill in June, 1937 and died on August 12, just eight months after leaving office.[14][15] He is interred at Evergreen Cemetery, Rutland, Vermont.[16]

References

1. Hartford Courant, Obituary, Mrs. Charles M. Smith, February 24, 1935
2. Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, Catalogue By Alpha Delta Phi, 1899, page 381
3. New York Times, Mrs. Charles M. Smith; Wife of Governor of Vermont Succumbs at Age of 71, February 21, 1935
4. American Bankers Association, Journal of the American Bankers Association, Volume 13, 1920, page 35
5. American Legislators' Association, State government, Volumes 9-10, 1936, page 239
6. Vermont House of Representatives, List of Ways & Means Committee Chairmen since 1900, 2005
7. Vermont State Archives and Records Administration Archived April 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Lieutenant Governors Terms of Service, 2011, page 2
8. Vermont Secretary of State, Vermont Governors, Terms of Service, 2011
9. "Charles M. Smith". National Governors Association. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
10. New York Times, Vermont Governor Held in Bank Case, December 1, 1936
11. Hartford Courant, Gov. Smith Is Released On Bank Charge, December 2, 1936
12. New York Times, Gov. Smith Rearrested, December 29, 1936
13. New York Times, Three Vermont Bankers Cleared, April 27, 1937
14. New York Times, Ex-Gov. C. M. Smith of Vermont Dies, August 13, 1937
15. Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008 Record for Charles Manley Smith, accessed via Ancestry.com, April 30, 2012
16. Vermont Old Cemetery Association, accessed November 17, 2017

External links

• The Political Graveyard
• Charles Manley Smith at Find a Grave
• National Governors Association.

Party political offices
Preceded by Stanley C. Wilson	Republican nominee for Governor of Vermont 1934	Succeeded by George Aiken
Political offices
Preceded by Benjamin Williams	Lieutenant Governor of Vermont 1933–1935	Succeeded by George Aiken
Preceded by Stanley C. Wilson	Governor of Vermont 1935–1937	Succeeded by George D. Aiken