Truman Smith

Truman Smith

United States Senator from Connecticut
In office March 4, 1849 – May 24, 1854
Preceded by	John M. Niles
Succeeded by	Francis Gillette

Born	November 27, 1791 Roxbury, Connecticut, USA
Died	May 3, 1884 Stamford, Connecticut, USA
Political party	Whig
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, Judge

Truman Smith (November 27, 1791 – May 3, 1884) was a politician, lawyer and judge from Connecticut. He was the nephew of Nathaniel Smith and Nathan Smith.

Born in Roxbury, Connecticut, Smith completed preparatory studies and graduated from Yale College in 1815. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1818, commencing practice in Litchfield, Connecticut. He was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1831 to 1832 and again in 1834. He was elected a Whig to the United States House of Representatives in 1838, serving from 1839 to 1843, declining renomination in 1842. He was a presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1844 and was elected back to the House of Representatives the following year, serving again from 1845 to 1849. Smith declined the appointment to be the first United States Secretary of the Interior from President Zachary Taylor in 1849 having been elected to the United States Senate. He served from 1849 until his resignation in 1854. Afterwards, he lived in Stamford, Connecticut while practicing law in New York City, New York. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Smith judge of the Court of Arbitration under the treaty of 1862 with Great Britain for the suppression of the slave trade which he served as until 1870. He retired from business that year and died in Stamford, Connecticut on May 3, 1884. He was interned in Stamford in Woodland Cemetery.

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Preceded by Lancelot Phelps	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 5th congressional district March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843	Succeeded by (none)
Preceded by Samuel Simons	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 4th congressional district March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1849	Succeeded by Thomas B. Butler
Preceded by John M. Niles	United States Senator (Class 3) from Connecticut March 4, 1849 – May 24, 1854 Served alongside: Roger S. Baldwin and Isaac Toucey	Succeeded by Francis Gillette

v • d • e United States Senators from Connecticut

Class 1: Ellsworth • Hillhouse • Dana • Boardman • Edwards • Foot • N. Smith • Niles • Betts • Huntington • R.S. Baldwin • Toucey • Dixon • Buckingham • Eaton • Hawley • Bulkeley • McLean • Walcott • Maloney • Hart • R.E. Baldwin • Benton • Purtell • T. Dodd • Weicker • Lieberman Class 3: Johnson • Sherman • Mitchell • Trumbull • Tracy • Goodrich • Daggett • Lanman • Willey • Tomlinson • P. Smith • Niles • T. Smith • Gillette • Foster • Ferry • English • Barnum • Platt • Brandegee • Bingham • Lonergan • Danaher • McMahon • Purtell • Bush • Ribicoff • C. Dodd