Oliver Hampton Smith | |
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| Indiana House of Representatives | |
| In office 1822–1824 | |
| Member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromIndiana's 3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1829 | |
| Preceded by | John Test |
| Succeeded by | John Test |
| United States Senator fromIndiana | |
| In office March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1843 | |
| Preceded by | William Hendricks |
| Succeeded by | Edward A. Hannegan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1794-10-23)October 23, 1794 |
| Died | March 19, 1859(1859-03-19) (aged 64) Charlestown, Indiana, U.S. |
| Resting place | Crown Hill Cemetery and Arboretum, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., Section 12, Lot 9 |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican Whig |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Oliver Hampton Smith (October 23, 1794 – March 19, 1859) was aUnited States representative andSenator fromIndiana.
Born on Smith's Island, nearTrenton, New Jersey, (though one source instead states he was born at theSmith Family Farmstead inUpper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania[1]) he attended the common schools and movedwest, eventually settling inLawrenceburg, Indiana in 1818. He studied law and was admitted to thebar in 1820, commencing practice inConnersville.
From 1822 to 1824, Smith was a member of theIndiana House of Representatives and wasprosecuting attorney for the thirdjudicial district, 1824–1825. As an attorney, he was the chief prosecutor in the trials of Andrew Sawyer, John Bridge Sr., and John Bridge Jr., three of the perpetrators of theFall Creek massacre.[2]
Smith was elected to the Twentieth Congress (March 4, 1827–March 3, 1829) and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1828; he was then elected as aWhig to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1837, to March 3, 1843. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Engrossed Bills (Twenty-sixth Congress) and a member of the Committee on Public Lands (Twenty-seventh Congress). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection and moved toIndianapolis where he resumed the practice of law. He declined to be a candidate forGovernor of Indiana in 1845 and engaged in the railroad business in Indianapolis. He died in that city in 1859; interment was inCrown Hill Cemetery.
Media related toOliver H. Smith at Wikimedia Commons| U.S. Senate | ||
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| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 3) from Indiana 1837–1843 Served alongside:John Tipton,Albert S. White | Succeeded by |
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| Public Lands and Surveys (1921–1947) | ||
| Interior and Insular Affairs (1947–1977) | ||
| Energy and Natural Resources (1977–) | ||
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