William Grover Smith Explained

William Grover Smith
Office:6th Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
Governor:Job Adams Cooper
Term Start:January 8, 1889
Term End:January 13, 1891
Predecessor:Norman H. Meldrum
Successor:William Story
Birth Date:27 April 1857
Birth Place:Newton, New Jersey
Death Place:Golden, Colorado
Party:Republican Party
Spouse:Lake Erie Mealey

William Grover Smith (April 27, 1857 – November 3, 1921) was the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, serving from 1889 to 1891 under Job Adams Cooper.[1]

Biography

Smith was born in Newton, New Jersey, on April 25, 1857 and moved to Detroit with his family in 1865. He attended publics schools and moved to Colorado in 1872. He began a career in journalism in 1873 for the Golden Globe, and became an investor in the paper, then sole owner.[2]

He then became private secretary to Governor Frederick Pitkin in 1880, and superintendent of the Jefferson County schools afterwards. In 1899, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Colorado.[2]

He became the speaker of the General Assembly in January 1899.[3] He was a tramway official and lawyer. He also served as the President of the Colorado Senate from 1889-1890.[4]

Around 1900, he became president of the Denver and Intermountain Railroad Company, and retired from the Tramway Company in 1918. He later served as Denver County attorney. He died on November 3, 1921, in Colorado.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Legislator Record for.
  2. https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/presidents_and_speakers.pdf PRESIDENTS AND SPEAKERS OF THE COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY
  3. News: W. G. Smith For Speaker . The Larimer County Independent . 6 . 1899-01-05 . 2020-01-05 . Newspapers.com.
  4. https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/presidents_and_speakers.pdf PRESIDENTS AND SPEAKERS OF THE COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY