John W. Smith (Detroit mayor)
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John W. Smith | |
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| 52nd and 57th Mayor of Detroit | |
| In office 1924–1928 | |
| Preceded by | John C. Lodge |
| Succeeded by | John C. Lodge |
| In office 1933 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Couzens |
| Succeeded by | Frank Couzens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 12, 1882 Detroit, Michigan |
| Died | June 17, 1942 (aged 60) Detroit, Michigan |
John W. Smith (April 12, 1882 – June 17, 1942) was an American politician who was a long-time member of the Detroit City Council and was twice mayor of Detroit, Michigan.
John W. Smith was born in Detroit on April 12, 1882, the son of John W. and Gertrude Wax Smith.[1][2] His father died when Smith was five years old, leaving the family poor.[3] He began working as a newsboy when he was six years old.[3] He quit school in the fifth grade,[4] and worked as a pin-setter in a bowling alley and a newsboy, furthering his education on his own at the library.[1][3] He started boxing at a young age,[3] then joined the army at the age of fifteen to fight in the Spanish–American War, staying on to fight in the Philippines for some time.[2]
On his return to Detroit in 1901, Smith attended the University of Detroit for a year, simultaneously becoming a journeyman pipefitter.[3] He next joined the Detroit Shipbuilding Company as a pipefitter.[1]
Smith married Marie General;[5] the couple had two children: Dorothy and John W. Jr.[3]
