George M. Smith
George M. Smith (May 18, 1912 – October 21, 1962) was a Canadian American immigrant, businessman, and Republican politician, from Greenfield, Wisconsin. He was the 31st lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, serving three terms from 1949 to 1955.
George M. Smith | |
|---|---|
| 31st Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin | |
| In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1955 | |
| Governor | Oscar Rennebohm Walter J. Kohler Jr. |
| Preceded by | Oscar Rennebohm |
| Succeeded by | Warren P. Knowles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 18, 1912 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | October 21, 1962 (aged 50) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington Park Cemetery, Greenfield, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Jannet R. Warner
(m. 1935–1962) |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Salesman, insurance |
Biography
George M. Smith was born May 18, 1912, in Montreal, Quebec. He attended college in Winnipeg before emigrating to the United States in 1941. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then relocated to the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield, Wisconsin, where he earned his American citizenship in 1944.
He worked as a salesman for a textile company and was said to be an expert in wool. He came from political obscurity to run for lieutenant governor of Wisconsin in 1948. Spending only $53 on his campaign,[1] he shocked the state by winning the Republican Party nomination over well-known Wisconsin Republicans Frank E. Panzer, William Trinke, and James L. Callan.[2] Newspapers at the time theorized that his primary victory was due in part to having a familiar name.[1] Smith went on to win the general election with 49% of the vote, in an era when Republicans were fairly dominant in Wisconsin's statewide elections.[2]
Smith would win re-election twice, in 1950 and 1952, becoming only the third Wisconsin lieutenant governor to serve three terms.[3][4] He won these terms despite the fact that he never became a very active campaigner. That ultimately was his downfall when he ran for a fourth term in 1954. Delegates to the Republican Party state convention cited the need for a lieutenant governor nominee who would pull his weight for the ticket when they endorsed long-time Republican state senate leader Warren P. Knowles for the job.[5] Knowles defeated Smith in the statewide primary, though Smith still received 47% of the primary vote.[6]
After leaving office, Smith operated an insurance business out of his home in Greenfield and did not run for another political office. He suffered from chronic Nephritis, and, in 1962, he became partly paralyzed due to a fall. He died four months after his accident, on October 21, 1962, at a hospital in Milwaukee.[7]
Personal life and family
George M. Smith married Jannet R. Warner in 1935. They had at least three children together and were married for 27 years before his death in 1962.[7]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (1948, 1950, 1952, 1954)
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Primary[2] | Sep. 21 | George M. Smith | Republican | 124,000 | 29.75% | James L. Callan | Rep. | 113,211 | 27.16% | 416,857 | 10,789 |
| William Trinke | Rep. | 70,402 | 16.89% | |||||||||
| Frank E. Panzer | Rep. | 66,801 | 16.02% | |||||||||
| Francis L. McElligott | Rep. | 42,443 | 10.18% | |||||||||
| General[2] | Nov. 2 | George M. Smith | Republican | 602,513 | 49.35% | Anthony P. Gawronski | Dem. | 591,732 | 48.47% | 1,220,801 | 10,781 | |
| Alex Y. Wallace | Prog. | 14,213 | 1.16% | |||||||||
| William O. Hart | Soc. | 12,343 | 1.01% | |||||||||
| 1950 | Primary[3] | Sep. 19 | George M. Smith (inc) | Republican | 237,488 | 61.85% | Schultz | Rep. | 146,464 | 38.15% | 383,952 | 91,024 |
| General[3] | Nov. 7 | George M. Smith (inc) | Republican | 617,668 | 56.02% | Eugene R. Clifford | Dem. | 480,696 | 43.60% | 1,102,636 | 136,972 | |
| Rudolph Beyer | Soc. | 4,272 | 1.01% | |||||||||
| 1952 | General[4] | Nov. 4 | George M. Smith (inc) | Republican | 995,017 | 63.64% | Sverre Roang | Dem. | 564,725 | 36.12% | 1,563,394 | 430,292 |
| Bertha Kurki | Ind. | 3,652 | 0.23% | |||||||||
| 1954 | Primary[6] | Sep. 14 | Warren P. Knowles | Republican | 180,585 | 53.04% | George M. Smith (inc) | Rep. | 159,896 | 46.96% | 340,481 | 20,689 |
References
- "Names Pay off Better than Experience". The Capital Times. September 24, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved August 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1950). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1950 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 648, 750. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1952). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1952 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 670, 740. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1954). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1954 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 655, 756. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- "Knowles Backed for No. 2 Spot". Wisconsin State Journal. June 11, 1954. p. 2. Retrieved August 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1956). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1956 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. p. 702. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- "George M. Smith Funeral Tuesday at Milwaukee". The Capital Times. October 22, 1962. p. 12. Retrieved August 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- "Wisconsin Constitutional Officers; Lieutenant Governors" (PDF). State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2005–2006. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. July 2005. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
- "George M. Smith". Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
