Frederick Cleveland Smith (July 29, 1884 – July 16, 1956) was an American physician and politician who served six terms as a Republican member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

from 1939 to 1951.

Early life and career

Frederick C. Smith was born in

Shanesville, Ohio Sugarcreek is a village in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,373 at the 2020 census. It is known as "The Little Switzerland of Ohio". Located in Ohio's Amish Country, the village is part of a large regional tourism ...

. He pursued higher education in

osteopathic medicine Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO or D.O., or in Australia DO USA) is a medical degree conferred by the 38 osteopathic Medical school in the United States, medical schools in the United States. DO and Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine (M ...

Kirksville, Missouri Kirksville is the county seat of and most populous city in Adair County, Missouri, United States. Located in Benton Township, Adair County, Missouri, Benton Township, its population was 17,530 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Kirk ...

, and practiced there for several years. He then traveled overseas to continue his study of medicine in

Frankfurt, Germany Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the foreland of the Taunus on its namesake Main, it forms a contin ...

, and in

Vienna, Austria Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. In 1917, Smith was licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the State of Ohio and opened his practice in

Marion, Ohio Marion is a city in Marion County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 35,999 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down slig ...

. He also served as mayor in

from January 1936 until January 1, 1939, when he resigned. Smith founded the Frederick C. Smith Clinic in Marion, which brought together doctors in various fields in a practice that benefited from each doctor's specialty. The original clinic was located on East Church Street. The concern continues in Marion, Ohio, and still bears Smith's name.

Tenure in Congress

Smith was elected as a Republican to the Seventy-sixth and to the five succeeding Congresses. He supported $7 billion in aid to Britain, Lend-Lease, and the 1941 amendment to the Neutrality Act to remove restrictions that forbade U.S. vessels from entering combat zones and US citizens from sailing on vessels of belligerents. He also denounced "isolationism" and took a staunchly "pro-British" position in between the "fall of France" in the summer of 1940 and the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, during which time Great Britain was essentially alone. He frequently spoke in favor of aiding Britain. During the early 1950s, Smith "would invariably draw 'zero' ratings from the

Americans for Democratic Action Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) is a liberal American political organization advocating progressive policies. ADA views itself as supporting social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research, and supporting p ...

and other

leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politi ...

groups." One of the most conservative members of Congress between 1937 and 1970, he has been labeled by some writers as the sixth most conservative overall since 1937.Is John Kerry A Liberal?
(accessed January 20, 2012) He was not a candidate for renomination in

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

Later years, death and interment

Smith resumed his medical profession. He died in Marion, Ohio, on July 16, 1956, and was interred in the Marion Cemetery.

Sources

*
The Political Graveyard

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Frederick Cleveland 1884 births 1956 deaths People from Tuscarawas County, Ohio People from Marion, Ohio Physicians from Ohio American osteopathic physicians A. T. Still University alumni Mayors of places in Ohio Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives