Charles Manley Smith (August 3, 1868 – August 12, 1937) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the 59th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1933 to 1935 and 63rd governor of Vermont from 1935 to 1937.
Life and career Smith was born in West Rutland, Vermont, on August 3, 1868, a son of Hiram A. Smith and Helen (Manley) Smith. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1891Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, Catalogue By Alpha Delta Phi, 1899, page 381 and served as private secretary to former Vermont Governor Redfield Proctor when Proctor was Secretary of War.New York Times, Mrs. Charles M. Smith; Wife of Governor of Vermont Succumbs at Age of 71, February 21, 1935
Active in banking and insurance, Smith became President of Marble Savings Bank in 1920.American Bankers Association, Journal of the American Bankers Association, Volume 13, 1920, page 35
A Republican, Smith served in the Vermont State Senate from 1927 to 1931and was chaieman of the body's banking committee.American Legislators' Association, State government, Volumes 9-10, 1936, page 239 He was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1931 to 1933 and was Ways and Means Committee Chairman.Vermont House of Representatives, List of Ways & Means Committee Chairmen since 1900, 2005 He served as Lieutenant Governor from 1933 to 1935., Lieutenant Governors Terms of Service, 2011, page 2
Smith was elected Governor in 1934 and served from 1935 to 1937.Vermont Secretary of State, Vermont Governors, Terms of Service, 2011 During his administration, the state legislature approved old age pension and unemployment compensation laws.
In December 1936, Smith and other Marble Bank officials were charged with fraud for failing to inform account holders and authorities about an embezzlement. In May 1932, Smith had learned that his bank's bookkeeper had stolen $251,000. Smith let him leave quietly, kept the theft secret, and charged the loss against the bank's surplus.New York Times, Vermont Governor Held in Bank Case, December 1, 1936Hartford Courant, Gov. Smith Is Released On Bank Charge, December 2, 1936New York Times, Gov. Smith Rearrested, December 29, 1936
In July 1935, the bookkeeper was named Rutland's Assistant City Treasurer and planned a candidacy for Treasurer. To prevent this, his opponents leaked word of the theft to the press. The bookkeeper was convicted and jailed, and the bank Treasurer received a suspended sentence and a $400 fine. Charges against most other parties were dismissed, and Smith was acquitted at his trial.New York Times, Three Vermont Bankers Cleared, April 27, 1937
Personal life Smith married Mary Aurelia Stark and they had three children. Dorothy was the wife of Andrew C. Matthews. Charlotte was the wife of Theodore Nicolet. Manley Stark Smith was serving in the military during World War I when he died in 1918.
In 1936, Smith was injured in a car accident and his health began to decline. He became ill in June 1937 and died on August 12, 1937, aged 69, just eight months after leaving office.New York Times, Ex-Gov. C. M. Smith of Vermont Dies, August 13, 1937Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008 Record for Charles Manley Smith, accessed via Ancestry.com, April 30, 2012 He is interred at Evergreen Cemetery, Rutland, Vermont.Vermont Old Cemetery Association, accessed November 17, 2017
References
External links The Political Graveyard
National Governors Association.