John T. Smith (May 1801March 30, 1864) was an American banker and politician who served as a Democratic member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

for

Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district Pennsylvania's third congressional district includes several areas of the city of Philadelphia, including West Philadelphia, most of Center City, and parts of North Philadelphia. It has been represented by Democrat Dwight Evans since 2019. With ...

from 1843 to 1845.

Early life and education

Smith was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1801, and educated locally.

Career

He resided in the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

area, where he was active in banking as an officer and member of the board of directors at the Kensington Bank, of which he was President from 1854 to 1863. In addition, he was a member of the Board of Trustees at the Manufacturers’ and Mechanics’ Beneficial Savings Institution in Philadelphia’s

Northern Liberties Northern Liberties is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to its incorporation into Philadelphia in 1854, it was among the top 10 largest cities in the U.S. in every census from 1790 to 1850. Boundaries Northern Liberties is loc ...

district. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Smith was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 3rd District in 1842, and he served one term, March 4, 1843 to March 3, 1845. Smith served for several years on the Board of Commissioners for Northern Liberties (now part of Philadelphia), and was the board’s President from 1840 to 1843 and 1846 to 1849. In addition, he served in appointive positions including Inspector of the Philadelphia County Prison.

Notes

References

*
The Political GraveyardJohn T. Smith elected President of the Kensington Bank
in ''The Bankers' Magazine, and Statistical Register'', Volume 8, Part 2, January 1854
John T. Smith, Member of the Board of Directors of the Kensington Bank
in ''McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory''
John T. Smith, member of the Board of Trustees of the Manufacturers’ and Mechanics’ Beneficial Savings Institution
in ''McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory''
John T. Smith
in ''Annual Report of the Inspectors of the Philadelphia County Prison'', Volume 8, 1855-1866 1801 births 1864 deaths 19th-century American politicians American bank presidents Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania People from Carlisle, Pennsylvania Politicians from Philadelphia 19th-century American businesspeople {{Pennsylvania-Representative-stub