Joseph F. Smart

Joseph F. Smart
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Milwaukee 18th district
In office
January 6, 1913 – January 4, 1915
Preceded bydistrict established
Succeeded byFrank L. Prescott
Personal details
Born(1870-01-14)January 14, 1870
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
DiedApril 1, 1938(1938-04-01) (aged 68)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeCalvary Cemetery, Milwaukee
PartyDemocratic
Spouse
Esther Butler
​
(m. 1897⁠–⁠1938)​
ChildrenAnn Butler (Blommer)
(b. 1911; died 1976)

Joseph F. Smart (January 14, 1870 – April 1, 1938) was an American businessman and politician who was business manager of the Boston Red Sox during the 1903 season. Later, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, elected as a Democrat, representing northern Milwaukee County during the 51st Wisconsin Legislature (1913).

Early life

Smart was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 14, 1870. He eventually moved to Milwaukee, where he worked in sales for the Great Northern Life Insurance Company of Wausau and the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company.

Boston Red Sox

In April 1903, Smart was appointed business manager of Boston's American League baseball club (now known as the Boston Red Sox) by team president Henry Killilea. He was hired after University of Michigan athletic director Charles A. Baird turned down the job. During his tenure with the team, Smart oversaw improvements to the Huntington Avenue Grounds and brokered an agreement between Killilea and the players that led to the players agreeing to participate in the first ever World Series. Smart was not brought back for the 1904 season.

Wisconsin State Assembly

In 1912, Smart was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly from Milwaukee County's 18th Assembly district. The district then consisted of the eighteenth ward of the city of Milwaukee, the towns of Granville and Milwaukee, and the villages of Whitefish Bay and East Milwaukee; roughly comprising the northern quarter of Milwaukee County. A Democrat, he defeated Republican Frank Mackut Jr., 1,970 votes to 1,202. During his one term in the Assembly, Smart was a member of the insurance and banking committee.

Later life

Smart spent a number of years in Buffalo, New York, before returning to Milwaukee in 1936. He died there on April 1, 1938.

References

  1. ↑ "Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848–1999" (PDF). State of Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Biographical Sketches". The Wisconsin Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Industrial Commission. 1913. p. 677. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Convention Notes". The Northwestern Miller. October 26, 1921. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  4. ↑ "New Manager for Bostons". Boston Evening Transcript. April 3, 1903. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  5. ↑ Hubbard, Donald (2014). The Red Sox Before the Babe: Boston's Early Days in the American League, 1901-1914. McFarland, Incorporated. p. 38. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Boston Team Will Play: Series with Pittsburg to Take Place as Arranged". The Boston Globe. September 26, 1903.
  7. ↑ "Baseball Notes". The Post Express. April 3, 1904. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Joseph Smart, Former Red Sox Manager, Dies". The Lewiston Daily Sun. April 2, 1938. Retrieved June 10, 2026.