Al Smith

Al Smith – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Al Smith (1873–1944), the four-term Governor of New York and first Catholic major-party presidential nominee, left a lasting legacy through his reforms, oratory, and advocacy. Discover his life, career, philosophy, and memorable quotations.

Introduction

Alfred Emanuel “Al” Smith was a pivotal figure in early 20th-century American politics. Rising from humble beginnings on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, he became a champion of the working class, a progressive reformer, and the first Roman Catholic to be nominated for President by a major US party. Although he never reached the White House, his candidacy reshaped political coalitions, challenged religious prejudice, and influenced the trajectory of the Democratic Party. Today, Smith’s life offers insight into questions of identity, social justice, and the role of government in American civic life.

Early Life and Family

Al Smith was born on December 30, 1873, in New York City, at 174 South Street on Manhattan’s crowded Lower East Side.

Smith grew up in a densely packed immigrant neighborhood, amid the construction of great New York landmarks. He often remarked, “The Brooklyn Bridge and I grew up together.” The Bridge, then still new, loomed above his neighborhood and became a personal metaphor for progress.

Youth and Education

Because of the family’s financial hardship, Smith left school at about age 14 to help support his family.

Early on, Smith took a job at the Fulton Fish Market, earning about $12 per week, and later supplemented income by doing amateur theatrical work.

Smith’s working-class roots and lack of formal schooling were often invoked later — he portrayed himself as “a man of the people,” grounded in the city’s immigrant communities.

Career and Achievements

Early Political Rise

Smith’s political career began modestly. In 1904, he was elected to the New York State Assembly from New York County’s 2nd District, a position he held through 1915.

He next served as Sheriff of New York County (1916), then as President of the New York City Board of Aldermen in 1918.

Governor of New York

Smith’s first gubernatorial term began in 1919 (serving until 1920), and he was again elected in 1922, 1924, and 1926 — serving in total four terms. As governor, Smith distinguished himself as a progressive reformer:

• He championed labor protections, workers’ compensation laws, and improved safety regulations in factories and public works.

• He advocated pensions for women, children, and better social services.

• He repealed New York’s Prohibition enforcement law (the Mullan-Gage statute), aligning with his “wet” (anti-Prohibition) stance.

• He pushed for decentralization: believing that state and local governments should understand and meet the everyday needs of citizens.

Despite his affiliation with New York's Tammany Hall machine, Smith maintained a reputation for personal integrity and reform orientation.

1928 Presidential Campaign

In 1928, Smith became the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States, the first Catholic to be so nominated by a major party.

Smith’s loss to Herbert Hoover has often been attributed to what political observers called the “three P’s”: Prohibition, Prejudice, and Prosperity.

Smith sought the Democratic nomination again in 1932, but lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Later Years and Business Role

After his presidential defeats, Smith turned to business. Notably:

• He became President of Empire State, Inc., the company behind the Empire State Building. He oversaw its rapid construction (completed in just 13 months).

• He remained active in public discourse, criticizing Roosevelt’s New Deal from a centrist-progressive vantage.

• He was a vocal opponent of Nazism, making broadcasts and speeches denouncing Nazi brutality and supporting anti-Nazi measures in the 1930s.

• He was awarded the Laetare Medal (1930), a high honor for American Catholics.

Smith died of a heart attack on October 4, 1944, in New York City, after the death of his wife earlier that year.

Historical Milestones & Context

• First Catholic major-party presidential nominee: Smith’s 1928 run was momentous for American religious politics, challenging anti-Catholic bias in U.S. elections.

• Progressive reform in the states: Smith’s governorship in New York became a model for state-level social legislation and modernizing public services.

• Realignment of the Democratic coalition: Some historians consider the 1928 campaign a precursor to the New Deal coalition, shifting urban, Catholic, immigrant, and labor voters toward the Democratic Party.

• Public architecture as symbol: Smith’s involvement in the Empire State Building tied his legacy to one of America’s enduring landmarks.

• Opposition to New Deal: Although many of his reforms anticipated New Deal policies, Smith later became a critic of Roosevelt’s federal interventions, aligning with conservative Democrats.

Legacy and Influence

Al Smith’s legacy is multifaceted:

• Political and cultural memory: The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, begun in 1945, continues as a significant event in U.S. politics, often bringing presidential candidates together for charity.

• Place names and institutions: Schools, parks, housing projects, and buildings in New York bear his name.

• Coalitional shift: His candidacy helped accelerate the alignment of immigrant, urban, and Catholic voters with the Democratic Party in the 20th century.

• Reform lineage: Many state-level social and labor reforms in New York under Smith foreshadowed elements of the national New Deal agenda.

• Symbol of religious freedom: Smith challenged the notion that adherence to Catholicism was incompatible with American public service, paving the way for later Catholic political leaders.

Personality and Talents

Smith was charismatic, eloquent, and deeply attuned to the lives of ordinary people. His theatrical background gave him ease and fluency in public speaking, enabling him to connect with diverse audiences. He was practical in his politics: focused on tangible reforms rather than rhetorical idealism.

Although closely associated with Tammany Hall, he sought to maintain a reputation for honesty and public service.

Despite his political feuds, Smith maintained dignity and worked steadily until his passing. His humility about his own origins resonated with many Americans who saw in him a living embodiment of the American dream.

Famous Quotes of Al Smith

Here are some of his most memorable observations (with attribution):

• “The American people never carry an umbrella. They prepare to walk in eternal sunshine.”

• “All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.”

• “It is the right of our people to organize to oppose any law and any part of the Constitution with which they are not in sympathy.”

• “Be sincere. Be simple in words, manners, and gestures. Amuse as well as instruct. If you can make a man laugh, you can make him think and make him like and believe you.”

• “No matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney.”

• “The Brooklyn Bridge and I grew up together.”

• “I believe in the absolute separation of church and state and in the strict enforcement of the Constitution that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

• “No sane local official who has hung up an empty stocking over the municipal fireplace is going to shoot Santa Claus just before a hard Christmas.”

These quotations reveal Smith’s wit, conviction, and the blend of idealism and pragmatism that defined his public voice.

Lessons from Al Smith

1. Authenticity matters
   Smith never pretended to be anything other than his background. He embraced his working-class roots and used them as a source of political legitimacy.

2. Reform from within
   Even though affiliated with political machines, he sought to push them toward social good, using power for public benefit rather than patronage alone.

3. Bridge building across identities
   As a Catholic in a predominantly Protestant political world, Smith’s candidacy challenged barriers. He demonstrated the power—and limits—of coalition politics.

4. The balance of idealism and pragmatism
   Smith combined bold goals (labor protections, social welfare) with practical incremental steps, recognizing the importance of governance, not just rhetoric.

5. Long view vs. short victory
   Though he lost in national politics, the real impact of Smith’s work unfolded later — in the redefinition of American political coalitions and the embedding of social legislation at state and federal levels.

Conclusion

Al Smith’s life is a story of ambition, integrity, and transformation. From the alleyways of the Lower East Side to the highest offices of state, his journey embodied the possibilities of American democracy. His 1928 presidential bid may have failed electorally, but its symbolic value and the shifts it triggered echo far beyond his years. His reforms in New York anticipated much of what later became national policy; his voice challenged religious prejudice; his example encouraged subsequent generations of diverse leaders.

To explore more, reflect on his famous quotes and revisit the turning points in American political history that still shape us today.