Edwin O. Smith
Edwin O. Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives | |
| In office 1933–1960 | |
| Acting President of the University of Connecticut | |
| In office 1908 | |
| Preceded by | Rufus W. Stimson |
| Succeeded by | Charles L. Beach |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1871 Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 28, 1960 (aged 89) Willimantic, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Wesleyan University |
| Occupation | Politician, teacher, coach |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
|---|---|
| Football | |
| 1894 | DePauw |
| 1902–1905 | Connecticut |
| Baseball | |
| 1902–1905 | Connecticut |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 18–17–1 (football) 13–9–1 (baseball) |
Edwin Oscar Smith (1871 – October 28, 1960) was a Connecticut politician who served 28 years in the Connecticut House of Representatives[1] and, from April through September, 1908, was president of the Connecticut Agricultural College,[2] which is now the University of Connecticut.
Biography
[edit]Smith was born in Albany, New York. He attended Wesleyan University, graduating in 1893.[1] He played professional baseball on teams in Hartford, Connecticut, and the Adirondacks region of New York and he was a baseball and football coach at Depauw University.[3]
Between 1901 and 1916 he was a member of the faculty of the Connecticut Agricultural College (now the University of Connecticut) in Storrs, teaching English and economics.[1] He served as the school's football and baseball coach for four seasons, from 1902 to 1905, compiling a 14–13–1 record in football and a 13–9–1 record in baseball.[4][5] From April through September 1908 he held the school's interim presidency.[2]
A Republican, Smith was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1932 and served 14 consecutive two-year terms in the House. He was seeking re-election to a fifteenth term when he died from a heart attack on October 28, 1960. He also was a member of the Connecticut State Board of Education between 1935 and 1939. As a state legislator, he played a significant role in the enactment of legislation related to education and served as chairman of the Legislative Committee on Education that in 1954 established a formula for state government financial support of public schools.[1][3]
At the time of his death at the age of 89, Smith was the oldest and longest-serving member of the Connecticut General Assembly.[1]
E. O. Smith High School
[edit]E. O. Smith High School, established in 1958 as a regional school to serve the towns of Ashford and Mansfield, is named for him.[6] Originally part of the University of Connecticut campus, owned by the state, and operated by the university, it has been operated as a regional public school since 1987.[7] In 1993 the town of Willington was added to the region served by the school.[7]
Head coaching record
[edit]Football
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DePauw (Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1894) | |||||||||
| 1894 | DePauw | 4–4 | |||||||
| DePauw: | 4–4 | ||||||||
| Connecticut Aggies (Athletic League of New England State Colleges) (1902–1905) | |||||||||
| 1902 | Connecticut | 4–3 | |||||||
| 1903 | Connecticut | 3–5 | |||||||
| 1904 | Connecticut | 5–3–1 | |||||||
| 1905 | Connecticut | 2–2 | |||||||
| Connecticut: | 14–13–1 | ||||||||
| Total: | 18–17–1 | ||||||||
Baseball
[edit]The following table depicts Smith's record as head baseball coach at Connecticut.[8]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Aggies (1902–1905) | |||||||||
| 1902 | Connecticut | 3–1 | |||||||
| 1903 | Connecticut | 3–4 | |||||||
| 1904 | Connecticut | 3–1 | |||||||
| 1905 | Connecticut | 3–3–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 12–9–1 | ||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Rep. E.O. Smith, 89, of Connecticut dies, The New York Times, October 29, 1960
- ^ a b Betsy Pittman (2008), University of Connecticut President's Office Records: Edwin O. Smith, 1908, Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut, archived from the original on September 7, 2008
- ^ a b Rep. E.O. Smith, Dean of the House, Taken by Death, Meriden Journal, October 28, 1960
- ^ Connecticut Huskies Football History, NationalChamps.net website, accessed August 16, 2011
- ^ "University of Connecticut - SABR Encyclopedia". Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Celebrating 50 Years Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine, Edwin O. Smith High School website, accessed August 18, 2011
- ^ a b School / Region History Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Edwin O. Smith High School website, accessed August 18, 2011
- ^ 2018 Baseball Media Guide (PDF). uconnhuskies.com. pp. 40, 59. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
Further reading
[edit]- Theodore Powell (1960), The School Bus Law: A case study in education, religion, and politics. Wesleyan University Press.
- 1870s births
- 1960 deaths
- UConn Huskies baseball coaches
- UConn Huskies football coaches
- Connecticut State Board of Education members
- Presidents of the University of Connecticut
- DePauw Tigers baseball coaches
- DePauw Tigers football coaches
- Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
- University of Connecticut faculty
- Wesleyan University alumni
- Politicians from Albany, New York
- Connecticut Republicans
- Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
- 20th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly