Marcus A. Smith

Marcus A. Smith
United States Senator from Arizona
In office March 27, 1912 – March 3, 1921
Preceded by	Seat established
Succeeded by	Ralph H. Cameron
Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona Territory
In office March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1909
Preceded by	John Frank Wilson
Succeeded by	Ralph H. Cameron
In office March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903
Preceded by	John Frank Wilson
Succeeded by	John Frank Wilson
In office March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899
Preceded by	Nathan O. Murphy
Succeeded by	John Frank Wilson
In office March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1895
Preceded by	Curtis C. Bean
Succeeded by	Nathan O. Murphy
Personal details
Born	(1851-01-24)January 24, 1851 Cynthiana, Kentucky
Died	April 7, 1924(1924-04-07) (aged 73) Washington, D.C.
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Elizabeth Rathbone[a]
Alma mater	Kentucky University

Marcus Aurelius Smith (January 24, 1851^[b] – April 7, 1924) was an American attorney and politician who served eight terms as Arizona Territorial Delegate to Congress and as one of the first two Senators from Arizona. As a Delegate, he was a leader in the effort to gain statehood for Arizona. His non-voting status, however, minimized his influence with only 35 of the 277 bills he introduced into the House of Representatives being signed into law.^[1] Lack of a voice in the United States Senate further weakened his efforts as he managed to get Arizona statehood bills passed by the House only to see the legislation blocked in the Senate.^[2] Beyond his efforts for statehood, Smith worked to have government buildings constructed and to provide relief to his constituents affected by either man-made or natural misfortunes. His efforts to provide relief to the citizens of Arizona did not extend to the indigenous population, for whom Smith expressed great animosity.

Smith was a dedicated conservative for most of his political career. This changed following his electoral defeat in 1908. As Smith campaigned to become one of Arizona's first two senators he became a progressive. In this new role, he was a firm supporter of Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom initiatives.

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