Background
Smith, Hiram Ypsilanti was born on March 22, 1843 in Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, United States.
lawyer politician representative
Smith, Hiram Ypsilanti was born on March 22, 1843 in Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, United States.
He attended public schools and enlisted in the Iowa Militia for service against the Indians in 1861. Smith graduated from the Albany Law School in 1866 and was admitted to the bar later the same year, commencing practice in Des Moines.
Foreign three months, he represented Iowa"s 7th congressional district in the United States. House of Representatives, after winning election to serve out the term of John A. Kasson following Kasson"s appointment as United States. Envoy to Germany. He was appointed a clerk in the Post Office Department in 1862, serving until 1864 when he was transferred to the Treasury Department, serving there until 1865. In 1884, Smith became a candidate for the Republican nomination to succeed retiring Republican Congressman (and former Ambassador to Austria-Hungary) John A. Kasson as representative for Iowa"s 7th congressional district.
However, in August 1884, Kasson left Congress early when President Chester A. Arthur selected him as the next envoy to Germany.
This appointment required a double election in the 7th district in November 1884 - the regular election to pick a representative for the upcoming Forty-ninth Congress, and a special election of a representative to serve out the remainder of Kasson"s term in the Forty-eighth Congress. By the time of the district nominating convention, Smith ran only for the shorter term, and Conger ran only for the longer term.
Smith (and Conger) were nominated and defeated their opponents in the November election. Smith served in the lame-duck session, from December 2, 1884 to March 4, 1885.
Afterwards, Smith resumed practicing law until his death in Des Moines on November 4, 1894.
He was interned in Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines.
He served as district attorney of the fifth judicial district of Iowa from 1875 to 1879, and was a member of the Iowa Senate from 1882 to 1884.