Reed Smoot
1862–1941 (79 years)
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Biography
Reed Smoot was an apostle from 1900 until his death in 1941 and simultaneously served as a U.S. Senator from Utah from 1903 to 1933—the first Mormon senator seated since statehood.
Smoot’s Senate career began with contentious hearings (1904-1907) about whether a Mormon apostle should serve in Congress. The hearings aired details about polygamy and temple ceremonies, but Smoot was ultimately seated.
As senator, he co-authored the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which raised tariffs and is often blamed for worsening the Great Depression. His dual service as apostle and senator was unprecedented and has not been repeated.
Served Under
Church presidents during this leader's apostolic service:
Wives (2)
Reed Smoot was a celestial polygamist with 2 wives. Note these are sequential marriages — each previous spouse died before the next marriage, meaning no simultaneous living plural marriages.
2 wives · Lifespan: 1862–1941
7 children from 1 wives · Lifespan: 1862–1941
2 wives · Ages at marriage
| # | Name | Born | Died | Married | Her Age | His Age | Age Diff | Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 6, 1863 | Nov 6, 1928 | Sep 17, 1884 | 21 | 22 | 1 | 7 | |
| 2 | Oct 29, 1876 | Jul 11, 1961 | Jul 2, 1930 | 53 | 68 | 15 | 0 |
Children (7)
With
Alpha May Eldredge
(7 children)
- Harold Reed Smoot (b. Jan 1, 1887)
- Chloe Smoot (b. Jan 1, 1888)
- Seth Eldredge Smoot (b. Jan 1, 1891)
- Harlow Eldredge Smoot (b. Jan 1, 1891)
- Anne Kristine Smoot (b. Jan 1, 1893)
- Zella Esther Smoot (b. Jan 1, 1900)
- Ernest Winder Smoot (b. Jan 1, 1902)