Charles Manley Smith
Charles Manley Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date West Rutland, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | August 12, 1937 (aged 69) |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, banker |
| Years active | 1891–1937 |
| Known for | 59th lieutenant governor of Vermont (1933–1935), 63rd governor of Vermont (1935–1937) |
Charles Manley Smith (August 3, 1868 – August 12, 1937) was a prominent political figure in Vermont. He held the office of 59th lieutenant governor of Vermont between 1933 and 1935, followed by his term as the 63rd governor of Vermont from 1935 until 1937.
Life and career
Born in West Rutland, Vermont on August 3, 1868, Smith completed his education at Dartmouth College in 1891. Early in his career, he acted as private secretary to former Vermont Governor Redfield Proctor during Proctor’s service as Secretary of War.
Smith was deeply involved in the banking and insurance sectors, ascending to the presidency of Marble Savings Bank in 1920.
A member of the Republican Party, Smith represented his constituents in the Vermont State Senate from 1927 through 1931. Subsequently, he served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1931 to 1933, where he chaired the Ways and Means Committee. He then advanced to serve as Lieutenant Governor from 1933 to 1935.
In the gubernatorial election of 1934, Smith was victorious and governed from 1935 to 1937. His administration saw the enactment of legislation establishing old age pensions and unemployment compensation.
In December 1936, Smith and other executives at Marble Bank faced charges related to fraud for concealing an embezzlement case. In May 1932, Smith became aware that the bank’s bookkeeper had misappropriated $251,000 but did not disclose this information publicly, instead absorbing the loss into the bank’s surplus.
Opponents revealed details of the theft in July 1935 to hinder the bookkeeper—who was then serving as Rutland’s Assistant City Treasurer—from pursuing a campaign for Treasurer. The bookkeeper was subsequently convicted and sentenced to jail; meanwhile, the bank’s Treasurer received a suspended sentence accompanied by a fine. Charges against most other individuals were dropped, and Smith himself was found not guilty at trial.
Personal life
Smith was married to Mary Aurelia Stark, with whom he had three children.
Following a car accident in 1936 that caused injuries, Smith’s health gradually deteriorated. He fell ill in June 1937 and passed away on August 12, 1937, at age 69—approximately eight months after concluding his gubernatorial term. He was laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery in Rutland.