Reed Smoot
Reed Smoot (January 10, 1862 – February 9, 1941) was an American politician, businessman, and religious leader who represented Utah as a Republican in the United States Senate from 1903 to 1933 and served concurrently as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1900 until his death.[1]
Born in Salt Lake City to a prominent Mormon family, Smoot built a career as a successful entrepreneur and investor before entering politics, reflecting the integration of economic enterprise and faith in early 20th-century Utah society.[2] His 1903 election triggered the Smoot hearings, a protracted Senate investigation spanning over three years that scrutinized his apostleship amid persistent national suspicions of Mormon theocracy and plural marriage, despite the church's 1890 manifesto disavowing polygamy; the probe produced thousands of pages of testimony but ended with Smoot's seating in 1907 by a Senate vote affirming his constitutional qualifications and religious liberty.[3][2]
During his three-decade tenure, Smoot rose to chair the influential Senate Finance Committee from 1923 to 1933, where he championed protectionist policies, most notably co-authoring the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which elevated average import duties to historic highs in an effort to shield domestic industries but prompted retaliatory tariffs from trading partners and is credited by economic analyses with contracting global trade amid the onset of the Great Depression.[2][4][5] Reelected four times, his long service underscored the political maturation of Utah and the LDS Church's accommodation to American pluralism, though his defeat in 1932 reflected shifting voter priorities during economic crisis.[2] At his death, Smoot ranked third in seniority for the LDS church presidency, embodying the rare fusion of senatorial authority and ecclesiastical influence.[3]
Early Life and Education
Birth and Family Background
Reed Smoot was born on January 10, 1862, in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.[6] [2] [7] He was the son of Abraham Owen Smoot (1815–1895) and his second wife, Anne Kristina Morrison (also known as Anna Kirstine Mouritsen, 1828–1910), whom Abraham married in 1850 following Mormon practice of plural marriage.[8] [9] [10] Abraham Smoot, born in Owen County, Kentucky, converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1835 and became a key figure among Mormon pioneers, joining the migration westward and arriving in the [Salt Lake Valley](/page/Salt Lake Valley) in 1847 as part of Brigham Young's vanguard company.[9] [10] He held prominent church positions, including bishop of Salt Lake City’s Fifteenth Ward and later mayor of Salt Lake City from 1882 to 1890, while also engaging in farming, merchandising, and freighting.[11] [10] Anne Morrison, a native of Brekke, Norway (then part of Denmark-Norway), immigrated to the United States in 1848 after converting to Mormonism and crossed the plains to Utah in 1849, enduring the hardships typical of Scandinavian converts during the pioneer era.[9] The Smoot family exemplified early Mormon settler resilience, with Abraham fathering children across multiple wives—totaling 14 surviving offspring—and establishing economic foundations in Utah through land ownership and community leadership amid territorial isolation and federal scrutiny of polygamy.[12] Reed, as one of Anne's five children, grew up in this polygamous household structure, which reflected the church's doctrines until their official discontinuation in 1890.[13]Upbringing in Utah Territory
Reed Smoot was born on January 10, 1862, in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, during a period of ongoing settlement and federal tensions under Mormon leadership.[7][14] He was the third child and eldest son of Abraham O. Smoot, a Mormon pioneer who had arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 and served as mayor of Salt Lake City from 1857 to 1862, and his fourth wife, Anne Kristina Morrison (also spelled Mouritsen or Mauritzen), a Norwegian immigrant who converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in her teens before emigrating in 1851.[15][16] The Smoot family exemplified the polygamous structure prevalent among early Mormon leaders, with Abraham having multiple wives and children, which shaped the household dynamics amid Utah's territorial isolation and self-reliant pioneer economy.[12] The family's prominence in church affairs provided Smoot with early exposure to religious governance and community service, as Abraham held roles such as bishop and mission president, fostering an environment of devout adherence to Mormon doctrines and practices during Brigham Young's theocratic influence over the territory.[17] In 1872, at age ten, Smoot relocated with his family to Provo, approximately 45 miles south of Salt Lake City, after Brigham Young appointed Abraham as president of the Provo Stake, a key administrative unit in the church's hierarchical structure.[18] This move immersed young Smoot in Provo's agrarian and ecclesiastical community, where family enterprises in farming and local trade supplemented the territorial economy strained by limited federal recognition and occasional conflicts over land and governance.[11] Smoot's upbringing emphasized practical skills alongside religious education, reflecting the Mormon emphasis on self-sufficiency in a frontier setting marked by irrigation projects, cooperative ventures, and defense against perceived external threats.[8] He began formal schooling in public institutions in Salt Lake City before the Provo relocation, attending classes that combined basic literacy, arithmetic, and moral instruction aligned with territorial norms under church oversight, though records indicate no advanced preparatory studies until later.[19][4] This early phase instilled values of industry and faith that later defined his career, amid Utah's push toward statehood and resolution of polygamy-related disputes with the U.S. government.[20]Formal Education and Initial Training
Smoot received his primary education in the public schools of Salt Lake City prior to his family's relocation to Provo in 1874.[6] In Provo, he attended the Timpanogos branch of the University of Deseret, a precursor to the University of Utah.[9] He enrolled in January 1876 as one of 29 inaugural students at Brigham Young Academy, studying commercial subjects in its academic department and secondary branch.[19] Although originally part of the high school class scheduled to graduate in 1879, he received his diploma with the class of 1880.[19] His initial professional training emphasized practical business experience rather than formal apprenticeships. During school vacations, Smoot worked at the Provo Woolen Mills, rotating through departments to acquire comprehensive manufacturing knowledge.[19] Upon graduation, he entered the Provo Co-operative Institution in entry-level roles, advancing to superintendent by September 1880 through demonstrated competence in operations.[19] This on-the-job immersion laid the foundation for his subsequent roles, including management of the Provo Woolen Mills from April 1884.[19]Business and Professional Development
Entry into Commerce and Manufacturing
Smoot's entry into business began with hands-on involvement in manufacturing through the Provo Woolen Mills, a textile operation established by his father, Abraham O. Smoot, and associates in Provo, Utah. While pursuing commercial studies, he worked at the mills during vacations, gaining practical experience in woolen goods production.[21] By 1885, at age 23, he assumed the presidency of the Provo Woolen Mills, leading its operations and contributing to its early success in local textile manufacturing.[22] After a brief interruption for a church mission in 1890, he resumed management in spring 1892, further advancing the mill's productivity under his superintendency.[19] Transitioning into commerce, Smoot became a principal promoter of the Provo Commercial and Savings Bank, chartered to support local economic development in Utah County. He served as its inaugural president shortly after his woolen mills role, maintaining active leadership for years and helping establish it as a key financial institution in Provo.[22] [4] These early ventures in manufacturing and banking laid the foundation for his broader business acumen, including initial investments in mining, coal, lumber, and real estate, which positioned him as a prominent figure in Utah's emerging industrial landscape by the late 1880s.[22]Leadership in the Sugar Industry
Smoot assumed significant leadership responsibilities in the Utah Sugar Company, a key enterprise in the territory's nascent beet sugar sector, where he served as president and director. Formed in 1891 under the auspices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to promote economic independence through domestic sugar production, the company faced early financial strains from inefficient extraction technologies and market competition with imported cane sugar. Smoot's management focused on restructuring debts and optimizing operations, transforming unprofitable ventures into viable concerns by the early 1900s.[1][15] His efforts included securing capital infusions and leveraging his networks in banking and commerce to fund factory expansions, such as those in Lehi and Ogden, which processed local beet crops into refined sugar. By 1903, these initiatives had stabilized the company's output, with beet sugar production reaching approximately 1,000 tons annually in Utah facilities, bolstering rural economies dependent on agriculture. Smoot's personal investments in the industry underscored his commitment, as he held equity stakes that aligned his fortunes with the sector's success.[8][23] Through hands-on financial oversight, Smoot advocated for technological improvements in beet processing, drawing on empirical assessments of yield efficiencies to prioritize blight-resistant strains and mechanized harvesting. This leadership not only rescued the Utah Sugar Company from insolvency but also laid groundwork for its evolution into the larger Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, which by the 1910s operated multiple refineries across the Intermountain West. His pre-political business acumen emphasized protectionist strategies against foreign imports, a principle he later advanced legislatively.[24][25]Financial Investments and Economic Contributions
Smoot founded the Provo Commercial and Savings Bank in 1890 and served as its first president, extending credit to businesses, farmers, and residents in the Provo region to support commercial expansion amid Utah's territorial transition to statehood.[15] He also acted as president of the Smoot Investment Company, which facilitated investments across multiple sectors, including banking and manufacturing, thereby channeling capital into Utah's nascent industrial base.[8] Additionally, Smoot held directorships at institutions such as the Deseret Savings Bank and ZCMI, the prominent Latter-day Saint cooperative mercantile enterprise, enhancing financial access and retail infrastructure for Mormon communities.[8] In mining, Smoot invested heavily in the Tintic district's silver and lead operations, serving as president of the Sioux Mine and Mill Company and as an original incorporator and vice president of the Grand Central Mine, where his efforts drove development and extraction output in the late 19th century.[26] [15] These holdings diversified his portfolio beyond agriculture and finance, tapping into Utah's rich mineral deposits to generate revenue and spur related infrastructure like railroads and mills.[4] Smoot's directorship in the Utah Sugar Company positioned him to advance beet sugar refining, an industry critical for providing a domestic alternative to imported cane sugar and enabling cash crop cultivation on arid Intermountain farmlands.[27] His personal financial stake in sugar processing supported factory establishments and operational scaling, which by the early 20th century employed seasonal labor forces and stabilized rural economies dependent on diversified agriculture rather than solely livestock or mining.[23] Collectively, these investments elevated Provo and Utah's economic profile, fostering self-sufficiency through integrated banking, resource exploitation, and agro-industrial growth.[2]Religious Role in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ordination as an Apostle
Reed Smoot was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the April 1900 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 8, 1900.[1][19] The following day, April 9, 1900, he was ordained to the apostleship by Church President Lorenzo Snow.[19][21] At the time of his calling, Smoot was 38 years old and had established himself as a prominent businessman in Utah's sugar industry.[1] Prior to his ordination, Smoot held significant ecclesiastical positions within the church, including service as a counselor to Edward Partridge in the presidency of the Salt Lake Stake beginning in 1895.[1] He had also completed a proselytizing mission to the British Isles in 1890.[1] His selection to the Quorum of the Twelve followed the death of Apostle Franklin D. Richards on December 9, 1899, which left a vacancy.) Smoot's ordination occurred amid the church's ongoing transition following the 1890 Manifesto renouncing plural marriage, during which President Snow emphasized institutional stability and adherence to the declaration.[21] Smoot's apostolic service spanned over four decades until his death in 1941, during which he balanced his religious duties with emerging political responsibilities.[1] His calling reflected the church leadership's preference for individuals with proven administrative and economic expertise to guide the institution through modernization efforts.[21]