Senator Edward McMurray Smith View All Years

ED M. SMITH

MR. PRESIDENT: Your committee, appointed to prepare a suitable memorial commemorating the life and public service of the late Honorable Edward McMurray Smith, begs leave to submit the following report:

Edward McMurray Smith, editor of the Winterset Madisonian for 54 years, former Secretary of State, and State Senator, died at the Madison County Memorial Hospital in Winterset, October 26, 1953, after a short illness, at the age of 82 years.

A son of John M. and Jane Courtney Smith, he was born in Jackson County, Iowa, October 31, 1870. At the age of 16 years the family moved to Madison County, and he lived on the farm until he·grew to manhood. He attended the rural schools, and took his higher education at Dexter Normal School in Dexter, Iowa, and Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, after which he taught school. In 1898 he became County Superintendent of Schools, and at the close of his term, he purchased the Winterset Madisonian, and remained as its editor and publisher until his death.

He was married to Evalyn Crossley of Patterson, Iowa, June 1, 1898, and they established their home in Winterset, where they resided until their deaths. They were the parents of four daughters; his wife and one daughter, Dorothy, preceded him in death. He was the last survivor of a family of four brothers.

Mr. Smith was active in Republican politics, and returned to the field of public service in 1916, when he was elected to the State Senate from the Adair-Madison County district, and served in the Thirty-seventh, Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, Fortieth and Fortieth Extra General Assemblies. In 1928 he was appointed by Governor John Hammill to fill the vacancy in the office of Secretary of State, caused by the death of Walter C. Ramsay, and was elected for one term, serving until December, 1930.

His public service also had included a term as postmaster of Winterset, from 1904 to 1908. He was active in the Iowa State Press Association for many years, and was one of the early presidents, in 1923. In 1933 he received the Iowa Press Association’s award as Iowa Master Editor, the second year in which that citation was made.

Mr. Smith took a deep interest in the affairs of his community. He was a member and officer of the First Presbyterian Church, a charter member of the Winterset Rotary club, a charter member of the Farm Bureau organization, a member of the Des Moines club, Pioneer Lawmakers Association, Prairie Club and Sigma Delta Chi, professional journalistic fraternity. He was a member of the local school board for several terms, and a fifty year member of the Local Knights of Pythias, and Masonic Lodges. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and a Shriner. The Madison County Memorial Hospital is a monument to his memory, as he organized and launched the project for the building of the hospital, which he helped dedicate in June, 1950.

Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. Marion Moore, who with her husband, J. C. Moore, had been partners and co-publishers in the newspaper business since 1937, Mrs. P. K. Graening of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Mrs. W. L. Fry of Berkeley, California. He also left five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the State of the Fifty-sixth. General Assembly of Iowa: That in the passing of the Honorable Edward McMurray Smith, the people of Madison County and of the entire State of Iowa have sustained a great loss and the Senate expresses its appreciation of his character and public service and tenders, by this resolution, its sincere and heartfelt sympathy to his beloved family in their great sorrow and loss.

Be It Further Resolved: That a copy of this resolution be spread on the Journal of the Senate, and that the Secretary of the Senate be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the members of the family of the deceased.

LORIN B. SAYRE,

JOHN D. SHOEMAN,

THOMAS LARSON,

Committee.

The resolution was unanimously adopted.