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Reed Smoot
Reed Smoot (January 10, 1862 – February 9, 1941) was an American politician, businessman, and apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A Republican who was first elected to the U.S. Senate by the Utah State Legislature in 1902, he served from 1903 to 1933. Smoot is primarily remembered as the co-sponsor of the 1930 Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act, which increased almost 900 American import duties. Criticized at the time as having "intensified nationalism all over the world" by Thomas Lamont of J.P. Morgan & Co., Smoot–Hawley is widely regarded as one of the catalysts for the worsening Great Depression.
Smoot was a prominent leader of the LDS Church, called to serve as an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1900. His role in the church, together with rumors of a secret church policy continuing polygamy and a secret oath against the United States, led to a four-year controversy after he was elected to the Senate. A Senate committee investigated his eligibility to serve, known as the Reed Smoot hearings, and recommended against him, but the full Senate voted to seat him.
Smoot continued to be reelected to successive terms until he lost his seat in the 1932 elections. Smoot returned to Utah in 1933. Retiring from politics and business, he devoted himself to the church. At the time of his death, he was third in the line of succession to lead the church.
Smoot was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory on January 10, 1862, the son of Abraham O. Smoot, who served as mayor of the city from 1856 to 1862 and Anne Kristina Morrison Smoot, also known as Anne Kirstine Mauritzen before her marriage. Anne was Abraham Smoot's fifth wife of six plural marriages, and he was the father of 27 children, three of whom he adopted.
The family moved to Provo, Utah, when Abraham Smoot was called by Brigham Young as the stake president. Smoot attended the University of Utah and graduated from Brigham Young Academy, now Brigham Young University, in 1879. After completing his education, Smoot served as a missionary for the church in England. After returning to Utah, he married Alpha M. Eldredge of Salt Lake City on September 17, 1884. They were the parents of six children. Eldredge died in 1928.
Smoot became a successful businessman in the Provo and Salt Lake City areas, with interests including dry goods stores, mining, banking, railroads, lumberyards, raising livestock, coal sales, and manufacturing woolens. Beginning in 1895, he became increasingly involved in the hierarchy of the LDS Church. On April 8, 1900, he was ordained an apostle and member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Smoot joined the Republican Party and took part in several campaigns beginning in the late 1880s. In February 1892, he was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for mayor of Provo. Beginning in 1892, he was a delegate to several Utah County Republican conventions. He began serving as a member of the state Republican executive committee in the mid-1890s.
After becoming an apostle in 1900, Smoot received the approval of LDS Church president Joseph F. Smith to run for office. In 1901, he ran for the U.S. Senate, and was defeated in the state legislative election by Thomas Kearns. Smoot was elected by the Utah legislature to the United States Senate in the 58th Congress on January 20, 1903. When he took his oath of office, Kearns provided his formal introduction to the senate.
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Reed Smoot
Reed Smoot (January 10, 1862 – February 9, 1941) was an American politician, businessman, and apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A Republican who was first elected to the U.S. Senate by the Utah State Legislature in 1902, he served from 1903 to 1933. Smoot is primarily remembered as the co-sponsor of the 1930 Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act, which increased almost 900 American import duties. Criticized at the time as having "intensified nationalism all over the world" by Thomas Lamont of J.P. Morgan & Co., Smoot–Hawley is widely regarded as one of the catalysts for the worsening Great Depression.
Smoot was a prominent leader of the LDS Church, called to serve as an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1900. His role in the church, together with rumors of a secret church policy continuing polygamy and a secret oath against the United States, led to a four-year controversy after he was elected to the Senate. A Senate committee investigated his eligibility to serve, known as the Reed Smoot hearings, and recommended against him, but the full Senate voted to seat him.
Smoot continued to be reelected to successive terms until he lost his seat in the 1932 elections. Smoot returned to Utah in 1933. Retiring from politics and business, he devoted himself to the church. At the time of his death, he was third in the line of succession to lead the church.
Smoot was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory on January 10, 1862, the son of Abraham O. Smoot, who served as mayor of the city from 1856 to 1862 and Anne Kristina Morrison Smoot, also known as Anne Kirstine Mauritzen before her marriage. Anne was Abraham Smoot's fifth wife of six plural marriages, and he was the father of 27 children, three of whom he adopted.
The family moved to Provo, Utah, when Abraham Smoot was called by Brigham Young as the stake president. Smoot attended the University of Utah and graduated from Brigham Young Academy, now Brigham Young University, in 1879. After completing his education, Smoot served as a missionary for the church in England. After returning to Utah, he married Alpha M. Eldredge of Salt Lake City on September 17, 1884. They were the parents of six children. Eldredge died in 1928.
Smoot became a successful businessman in the Provo and Salt Lake City areas, with interests including dry goods stores, mining, banking, railroads, lumberyards, raising livestock, coal sales, and manufacturing woolens. Beginning in 1895, he became increasingly involved in the hierarchy of the LDS Church. On April 8, 1900, he was ordained an apostle and member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Smoot joined the Republican Party and took part in several campaigns beginning in the late 1880s. In February 1892, he was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for mayor of Provo. Beginning in 1892, he was a delegate to several Utah County Republican conventions. He began serving as a member of the state Republican executive committee in the mid-1890s.
After becoming an apostle in 1900, Smoot received the approval of LDS Church president Joseph F. Smith to run for office. In 1901, he ran for the U.S. Senate, and was defeated in the state legislative election by Thomas Kearns. Smoot was elected by the Utah legislature to the United States Senate in the 58th Congress on January 20, 1903. When he took his oath of office, Kearns provided his formal introduction to the senate.