Biography

04/05/1871 - 08/27/1917

William Wallace “Billy” Smith (R8) Philadelphia (Part) County 1914-1917

Early Life:

William Wallace “Billy” Smith, born April 5 , 1871, Philadelphia , Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; son of William Burns Smith; public school education; Nazareth Hill Academy, 1887; employment, hardware merchants, J. B. Shannon and Sons; engaged, Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company, 1889-1899; captain, Pennsylvania National Guard, 1888-1892; professional baseball umpire, National League Clubs, 1898-1899; associated with his father -in -law, Thomas Johnson, engaged, business of printing specialties, textile trade, 1901-1905; president, Lynwood Manufacturing Company; served one term, Philadelphia School Board, Twenty - eighth district, twenty-one years, member, Twenty-eighth , Thirty -eighth, Forty - third Ward Executive Committees; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1914-1917; married, Catherine J. Smith; died, August 27 , 1917 (aged 46), in office of the Senate, throat affection, Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; interment, Westminster Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:

Enlisted, Company A, First Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard, private, 1888-1889, elected, second lieutenant, Company C, Third Regiment Infantry, 1890, elected, captain, Company G, Third Regiment Infantry, resigned, 1892. 

Professional baseball umpire, National League, 114 games, 1898-1899.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, Masonic bodies and other patriotic, fraternal, trade organizations, political clubs to the number of forty – seven.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 8th district, Philadelphia (Part) County, 1914-1917; committee assignments, Appropriations, Judiciary Special, Library, Military Affairs, Public Grounds and Buildings, Public Health and Sanitation, Public Printing (Chairman); died, August 27, 1917, in office of the Senate.

Legacy:

Father, William Burns Smith, 74th Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1884-1887.

Cited:

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members S". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Billy Smith (umpire) - BR Bullpen (baseball-reference.com)

The Pennsylvania Manual, (1918). Miller, H.P., (Compiler). Baker, W.H., (Assistant Compiler). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 1084, 1097, Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 1064.

Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Tuesday, August 28, 1917, page 3.

William Wallace “Billy” Smith (1871-1917) - Find a Grave Memorial