Edward Parsons Smith (September 30, 1860 – May 21, 1930) was the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, from 1918 to 1921.

Biography

Smith was born in

Mount Pleasant, Iowa Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa. The population was 9,274 in the 2020 census, an increase from 8,668 in the 2010 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders. History The first permanent s ...

, on September 30, 1860, and was a son of Edward Smith and Celia (Schockley) Smith. He attended the local schools and graduated from Mount Pleasant's Howe's Academy. He graduated from the

University of Iowa College of Law The University of Iowa College of Law is the law school of the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. It was founded in 1865. Iowa is ranked the 28th-best law school in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or U ...

with an

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree in 1885, and was admitted to the bar. Smith relocated to

Seward, Nebraska Seward is a city and county seat of Seward County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,964 at the 2010 census. Seward is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is known for its large Fourth of July (Independ ...

, in the summer of 1885, and established a law practice that specialized in interstate commerce. He moved to Omaha in 1890 and continued to practice law. In addition to his law practice, Smith was active in several businesses. He was the attorney for the Omaha Grain Exchange, of which he was also a board of directors member. In addition, Smith was vice president of the Omaha Cooperage Company, and served on its board of directors.

Mayor of Omaha

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 ran for mayor in 1918 and beat incumbent Mayor "Cowboy"

Jim Dahlman James Charles Dahlman (December 15, 1856 – January 21, 1930), also known as Jim Dahlman, Cowboy Jim and Mayor Jim, was elected to eight terms as List of mayors of Omaha, Nebraska, mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, serving the city for 20 years over ...

on a reform ticket aiming to defeat Tom Dennison's political machine, which at that point had run Omaha for at least 15 years. Dennison's displeasure with Smith's morality stance was frequently voiced, and took shape in the

Omaha Race Riot of 1919 The Omaha Race Riot occurred in Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, September 28–29, 1919. The race riot resulted in the lynching of Will Brown, a black civilian; the death of two white rioters; the injuries of many Omaha Police Department off ...

. During that riot Smith was strung up and almost

lynched Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

by a mob. After being rescued by Omaha Police detectives, he was taken to Omaha's

Ford Hospital The Ford Hospital, also called the Fifth Avenue Hotel, is located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1916 by Home Builders Incorporated, the hospital was a privately operated facility built and operated by Dr. Michael J. Ford. Operating until ...

. Smith's political interest never returned.

Death and burial

He died in Omaha on May 21, 1930 and was buried in Section 23, Lot 186 of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Omaha.

Family

In November 1883, Smith married Margaret Wertman of

Greenfield, Iowa Greenfield is a city and county seat of Adair County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,062. History The area around Greenfield was settled in 1854. The plan for the town of Greenfield was created in 1856 wh ...

. They were the parents of Ida B. Smith, Lisle W. Smith, and Edward Esher Smith.

References

External links