Edwin O. Smith

"E. O. Smith" redirects here. For the school named for Edwin O. Smith, see E. O. Smith High School. For the member of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council, see E. O. Smith (Cherokee politician).

Edwin O. Smith
Smith c. 1946
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Mansfield
In office 1933–1960
Preceded by	Annie E. Vinton Daniel C. Flaherty
Succeeded by	Foster H. Richards Willard J. Stearns
Acting President of the University of Connecticut
In office 1908
Preceded by	Rufus W. Stimson
Succeeded by	Charles L. Beach
Personal details
Born	1871 Albany, New York, U.S.
Died	October 28, 1960 (aged 89) Willimantic, Connecticut, U.S.
Party	Republican
Education	Wesleyan University
Occupation	Politician, teacher, coach

Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1894	DePauw
1902–1905	Connecticut
Baseball
1902–1905	Connecticut
Head coaching record
Overall	18–17–1 (football) 13–9–1 (baseball)

Edwin Oscar Smith (1871 – October 28, 1960) was a Connecticut politician who served 28 years in the Connecticut House of Representatives and, from April through September, 1908, was president of the Connecticut Agricultural College, which is now the University of Connecticut.

Biography

Smith was born in 1871 in Albany, New York. He attended Wesleyan University, graduating in 1893. He played professional baseball on teams in Hartford, Connecticut, and the Adirondacks region of New York and he was a baseball and football coach at Depauw University.

Between 1901 and 1916 he was a member of the faculty of the Connecticut Agricultural College (now the University of Connecticut) in Storrs, teaching English and economics. He served as the school's football and baseball coach for four seasons, from 1902 to 1905, compiling a 14–13–1 record in football and a 13–9–1 record in baseball. From April through September 1908 he held the school's interim presidency.

A Republican, Smith was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1932 and served 14 consecutive two-year terms representing the town of Mansfield. He was seeking re-election to a fifteenth term when he died from a heart attack on October 28, 1960. He also was a member of the Connecticut State Board of Education between 1935 and 1939. As a state legislator, he played a significant role in the enactment of legislation related to education and served as chairman of the Legislative Committee on Education that in 1954 established a formula for state government financial support of public schools.

At the time of his death at the age of 89, Smith was the oldest and longest-serving member of the Connecticut General Assembly.

E. O. Smith High School

E. O. Smith High School, established in 1958 as a regional school to serve the towns of Ashford and Mansfield, is named for him. Originally part of the University of Connecticut campus, owned by the state, and operated by the university, it has been operated as a regional public school since 1987. In 1993 the town of Willington was added to the region served by the school.

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
DePauw (Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1894)
1894	DePauw	4–4
DePauw:		4–4
Connecticut Aggies (Athletic League of New England State Colleges) (1902–1905)
1902	Connecticut	4–3
1903	Connecticut	3–5
1904	Connecticut	5–3–1
1905	Connecticut	2–2
Connecticut:		14–13–1
Total:		18–17–1

Baseball

The following table depicts Smith's record as head baseball coach at Connecticut.

Record table

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Connecticut Aggies (1902–1905)
1902	Connecticut	3–1
1903	Connecticut	3–4
1904	Connecticut	3–1
1905	Connecticut	3–3–1
Total:		12–9–1

Further reading

• Theodore Powell (1960), The School Bus Law: A case study in education, religion, and politics. Wesleyan University Press.