Robert Burns Smith

Robert Burns Smith (born December 29, 1854 in Hickman County , Kentucky , † November 16, 1908 in Kalispell , Montana ) was an American politician and from 1897 to 1901 the third governor of the state of Montana.

Early years and political advancement

Robert Smith attended public schools in his home in Kentucky. After completing a law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1877. He then opened a law firm in Mayfield . In 1882 he moved to the Montana Territory , where he practiced his legal profession first in Dillon and from 1889 in Helena .

Smith began his political career as a delegate to the Montana Constituent Assembly in 1885. Between 1885 and 1889 he was a United States Attorney ; in 1890 he became a lawyer for the city of Helena. In 1894 he was an unsuccessful Populist Party candidate for a seat in the US House of Representatives . His party was soon absorbed into the Democratic Party . In November 1896 he was elected as their candidate for the new governor of Montana, with 71 percent of the vote, clearly prevailing against the Republican Alexander C. Botkin.

Governor of Montana

Robert Smith took up his new office on January 4, 1897. During his four-year tenure, the state's schools and universities were promoted. The expansion of the road network was also pushed ahead and the construction of the State Capitol in the capital began. After the end of his tenure in January 1901, Smith withdrew from politics. For the next five years he worked as a lawyer in Butte . Then he had to give up this job for health reasons. Robert Smith died on November 16, 1908. He was married to Catherine Crossland, with whom he had two children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Smith, Robert Burns
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician, governor of Montana
DATE OF BIRTH	December 29, 1854
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hickman County , Kentucky
DATE OF DEATH	November 16, 1908
Place of death	Kalispell , Montana