Who was Alfred Emanuel Smith? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Al Smith

Died At Age: 70

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Catherine Ann Dunn

father: Alfred E. Smith

mother: Catherine Mulvihill

children: Alfred Smith, Jr.

Born Country: United States

Political Leaders American Men

political ideology: Democratic

Died on: October 4, 1944

place of death: New York, New York, United States

Ancestry: Italian American

Cause of Death: Heart Attack

U.S. State: New Yorkers

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Childhood & Early Life

He was born on December 30, 1873, in Manhattan to Alfred Emanuele Ferraro (who later took the name Alfred E. Smith) and his wife Catherine Mulvihill. He was of mixed descent though he identified most with the Irish American community.

His father, a Civil War veteran who owned a small trucking firm, died when Alfred was just 13. The young boy who was then studying at St. James school dropped out to support his family.

He found work as a fishmonger at the Fulton Fish Market. He never went to high school or college and was a self-learned man.

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Career

He always had a keen interest in politics and his career in this field was launched in 1895 when Tammany Hall, the New York City Democratic political organization, made him an investigator in the office of the city commissioner of jurors.

From 1904 to 1915 he served as a member of the New York State Assembly. He had begun to gain reputation as a persuasive speaker during his work with Tammany Hall and polished his oratory skills even more as a member of the New York State Assembly.

In 1911, several workers died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and a commission was set up to investigate the factory conditions in which Smith served as vice chairman. He advocated corrective legislation and protested against dangerous factory practices.

He was elected Sheriff of New York County in November 1915 due to his popularity and he led the Progressive movement in New York City and state.

In 1917, he was elected President of the Board of Aldermen of the City of New York and in 1918 he was elected as the Governor of New York.

He lost the re-elections in 1920 but emerged successful in the following New York state election in 1922. He went on to win the elections in 1924 and 1926 as well, establishing his popularity as a politician.

As a governor he became a much respected figure who implemented progressive measures to make the government more efficient in meeting the needs of the society.

Several laws including the ones governing the workers’ compensation and women’s pensions were strengthened during his term. His tenure came to an end in 1928 when he lost the re-election.

His name was proposed for nomination as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate by fellow Democrat Franklin Roosevelt, in 1924. However, the nomination eventually went to John W. Davis who then lost the election to the Republican candidate Calvin Coolidge.

In 1928, he was nominated as the Democrat candidate for the Presidential election. However, the fact that he was Roman Catholic and of Irish origin did not find favor with the electorate, and he lost the election to the Republican candidate Herbert Hoover.

He became the president of Empire State, Inc. in 1928. The company built and operated the Empire State Building, the world’s tallest skyscraper during those days.

In 1929, he was elected as President of the Board of Trustees of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University.

He returned to politics in 1938 as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Albany, and once again became one of the convention’s leading figures with his experience and made significant contributions to the provision for housing.

Personal Life & Legacy

Al Smith married his childhood sweetheart Catherine Ann Dnn in 1900. The couple had five children—two daughters and three sons. Smith remained deeply in love with his wife till the very end.

He was a leading layman of the Roman Catholic Church and was honored by appointment as a Knight of St. Gregory and a Papal Chamberlain in 1938.

His wife became ill with cancer and died in May 1944. Devastated by the loss of his life partner, his health began to deteriorate. He died of a heart attack on October 4, 1944, just five months after the death of his beloved wife.

Alfred Emanuel Smith Biography