Mendel L. Smith
{{Short description|Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1912 to 1918}}
Mendel Lafayette Smith (1870 {{nbnd}} 1934) was a politician and judge in South Carolina who served as Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SIBDAQAAMAAJ&dq=mendel+l.+smith&pg=PA738|title=Journal of the Senate of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina|first=South Carolina General Assembly|last=Senate|date=June 6, 1912|publisher=The Senate|via=Google Books}}{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0MUaAQAAIAAJ&dq=mendel+l.+smith&pg=PA849|title=Journal|first=South Carolina General Assembly|last=Senate|date=June 6, 1918|via=Google Books}} from 1903 to 1907 and 1912 until 1915. He served as a Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina until 1918. He ran for the office of the Governor of South Carolina in 1914.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dAtOAAAAYAAJ&dq=mendel+l.+smith&pg=PA238|title=Journal of the Senate of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina|date=June 6, 1918|publisher=The Senate|via=Google Books}}
Early life
He was born in Sumterville to Lafayette M. Smith, a merchant and planter, and Medora née Bradley Smith. His father was the eldest of Mendel Smith's four children .{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rWx54Ifjl-AC&dq=mendel+l.+smith&pg=PA356 | title=Historic Camden: Nineteenth century | last1=Kirkland | first1=Thomas J. | last2=Kennedy | first2=Robert Macmillan | date=1926 }}
He attended graded school in Camden, South Carolina and Wofford College. He then attended South Carolina Military Academy and the University of Virginia's law course. He played baseball and served as president of the South Carolina State League.
Career
He joined the Virginia bar in 1894 and the South Carolina bar the following year. He served on the board of educational institutions and commissions and was involved with the Democratic Party. He was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives from Kershaw County in 1900. He went on to serve numerous terms, including as Speaker.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TrwgAAAAMAAJ&dq=mendel+l.+smith&pg=PA294|title=The Alumni Bulletin|date=June 6, 1915|publisher=The University|via=Google Books}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:Speakers of the South Carolina House of Representatives
Category:South Carolina politicians
Category:South Carolina Democrats
Category:Wofford College alumni
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Mendel Lafayette}}