Tucker Powell Smith (January 29, 1898June 25, 1970) was an American academic and political activist. He was an economics professor at Brookwood Labor College and

Olivet College Olivet College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Olivet, Michigan. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was founded in 1844 by missionaries from Oberlin College, and it followed Oberlin in becom ...

. He was the Socialist Party of America's nominee for

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

in the

1948 United States presidential election The 1948 United States presidential election was the 41st quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 1948. In one of the greatest election upsets in American history, incumbent President Harry S. Truman, the Democr ...

alongside presidential nominee

Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 – December 19, 1968) was an American Presbyterian minister who achieved fame as a socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. Early years Thomas was the ...

Background

Circa 1930, Smith graduated from the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

. He was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

Delta Sigma Rho Delta Sigma Rho- Tau Kappa Alpha () is a collegiate honor society devoted to the promotion of public speaking (forensics). History Both Delta Sigma Rho and Tau Kappa Alpha were founded as honorary forensic societies. Delta Sigma Rho Delta Sigm ...

, and Alpha Zeta Pi.

Career

In the 1930s, Smith was a faculty member at Brookwood Labor College. On June 5, 1933, with the departure of A.J. Muste, Smith was appointed director of the college until it closed in 1937. Smith was a long-time pacifist. He was a member of the Committee on Militarism in Education and the

Fellowship of Reconciliation The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR or FOR) is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries. They are linked by affiliation to the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR). ...

(both major pacifist organizations during and after World War I). In 1948, Smith was selected as the

Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

vice presidential candidate to run along with

. The 1948 Socialist ticket garnered 139,569 votes. In 1930 Tucker was the Socialist candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 2nd District. Tucker finished third of four candidates with 6,144 votes for 3.8% of the total vote. On January 8, 1949, Smith was dismissed from his position at

because he had organized a teachers' union following the dismissal of colleague and professor of political science T. Barton Aikely. In May 1949

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...

dinner, New York University philosophy professor Sidney Hook attacked Smith's dismissal, arguing that teachers should be judged on merit only by their peers.

References

1898 births 1970 deaths Socialist Party of America politicians from New York (state) People from Eaton County, Michigan Socialist Party of America vice presidential nominees University of Missouri alumni American pacifists Brookwood Labor College faculty Olivet College faculty Economists from Michigan {{US-politician-stub