Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/438

 SMITH

SMITH

SMITH, Nora Archibald, autlior, was born in Pliiliulelpliia. I'a.: daugliter of Robert Noali and Helen Elizabeth (Dyer) Smith, and sister of Kate Douglas Wiggin (Mrs. George C. Riggs). Her early chiKthood was passed in Hollis, Maine, and in 1873 she removed with her parents to Santa Biirbara. Cal., where she attended the Santa Barbara college, graduating in 1877, and becom- ing especially proficient in Spanisli. She was in charge of a Spanish private school in Magdalena, Sonora. Mexico, 1877-78, where she had no text books and was obliged to provide and translate into Spanish all her lesson-materials; and was principal of the girls' department of the public schools in Tucson, Ariz., 1878-80. She entered the first class of her sister's training school in San Francisco in 1880, being graduated in 1881; was appointed superintendent of tiie Silver Street free kindergartens. 1886; assisted in her sister's training school, 188-4-88, and in the latter year, upon her sister's removal to New York city, as- sumed entire charge of the institution, which position she held until 1894, when she again took up her residence in Hollis, Maine, in order to de- vote herself to literary work. She is joint author, with Kate Douglas Wiggin, of: The Story Hour (1891); Chiklren's Rights (1893); Republic of Childhood (3 vols.) viz: FroebeVs Gifts (1896); FroebeVs Occupations (1896), Kindergarten Prin- ciples and Practice (1897); editor, also with her sister, of two volumes of poetry for children, Golden Numbers (1903), The Posy Ring (1903); and is the author of: The Children of the Future (1898); Under the Cactus Flag (1899); The Kin- dergarten in a Xutshell (1899); The Message of Frocbel (1900); Three Little Marys (1902).

SMITH, Oliver, philanthropist, was born in Hatfield, Mass., Jan. 20, 1766; son of Lieut, Samuel and Mary (Morton) Smith; grandson of Joseph and Canada (Waite) Smith and of Jon- athan Morton; great-grandson of John Smith (born about 1637; married Mary, daughter of William Partridge, and was slain by Indians in Hatfield Meadow, May 30, 1676), and great2- grandson of Lieut. Samuel Smith, who sailed from Ipswich for New England in 1034 at the age of thirty-two; lived at Weathersfield, Conn., and later at Hadley, Mass., where he held impor- tant offices in church and state. The father of Canada Waite was Benjamin Waite, renowned for his plucky rescue of his wife and child from Indian captivity in Canada. The child was born there after her mother's capture and was there- fore so named. Oliver Smith was a farmer and stock raiser, and amassed a large fortune (inven- toried at $391, .501. 77). He was a justice of the peace; served two terms as a representative in the state legislature, and was a member of the constitutional convention of 1830. He left $30,-

000 to be invested for sixty years and at the end of that time to be used to establish an agricul- tural school (with a pattern farm and an experi- ment farm) to be called " Smith's Agricultural school" in Northampton, Mass.; $10,000 for the use of the American Colonization society, which upon the dissolution of that society was added to the " farm fund," and with nearly all the resi- due, or about $360,000, founded the Smith Char- ities, to aid indigent boys, girls and widows. See: " Last Will and Testament of Oliver Smith, Esquire," published in Florence, Mass. (1845). He died in Hatfield. Mass., Dec. 23, 1845.

SMITH, Oliver Hampton, senator, was born on Smith's Island near Trenton, N.J., Oct. 23, 1794. He removed to Indiana in 1817, and prac- tised law in Connersville. He was a representa- tive in the state legislature, 1822-24; prosecuting attorney for the third judicial district, 1824-25, and was a Jackson Democrat representative in the 20th congress, 1827-29, and was defeated in 1828 for the 21st congress by Ratliflf Boon. He was a Whig U.S. senator, 1837-43, declined the Whig nomination for governor in 1845, and engaged in the railroad business in Indianapolis. He is the author of: Recollections of a Congressional Life (1834); and Early Indiana Trials, Sketches and Reminiscences (1857). He died in Indiana- polis, Ind., March 19, 1859.

SMITH, Perry, senator, was born in Wood- bury, Conn., May 12, 1783. He studied at the Litchfield Law school and commenced practice at New Milford, Conn., in 1807. He was a repre- sentative in the state legislature, 1822-24; judge of the probate court, 1824-35, and again a repre- sentative in the state legislature, 1835-36. He was U.S. senator from Connecticut, elected as a. Democrat, 1837-43. He is the autlior of: Speech on Bank Depositaries (1838). He died in Mil- ford, Conn., June 8, 1852.

SMITH, Persifor Frazer, soldier, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., November, 1798; son of Jona- than and Mary Anne (Frazer) Smith; grandson of Col. Robert, of the Continental army, and Marga- ret (Vaughn) Smith, and of Lieutenant-Colonel Persifor (of the 5th regiment Pennsylvania line and brigadier-general of the Pennsylvania militia) and Mary Worrall (Taylor) Frazer, and a great- grandson of John and Susanna Smith, who came to America in 1720 from the North of Ireland. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1815, A.M., 1818, and established a law practice in New Orleans, La. He was adjutant-general of the state; served in the Florida war as colonel of Louisiana volunteers and under Gen. Edmund P. Gaines in the cam- paigns of 1836 and 1838. In 1846 he was ap- pointed colonel of an infantry regiment and com- manded a brigade during the war with Mexico.