Alfred E. Smith

Alfred Emanuel “Al” Smith (1873–1944) was an American politician and a leading figure in New York Democratic politics. Raised on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, he rose through local offices and the New York State Legislature before serving as Governor of New York for four terms (1919–1920 and 1923–1928). As governor, he backed major reforms in labor, welfare, and government administration. In 1928 he became the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States, the first Roman Catholic to win a major-party nomination, and lost to Herbert Hoover. After public office, he became president of the Empire State, Inc.