John Mott-Smith (November 25, 1824 – August 10, 1895) was the first dentist to set up a permanent practice in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was also a politician, newspaper editor, and diplomat.
John Mott-Smith was born in New York City on November 13, 1824. His father was also named John Mott Smith (1795–1832), generally spelled without the hyphen, and mother was Amanda Day. His father had trained as a physician, but became a Methodist minister instead, and was Principal of Wesleyan Seminary in New York in 1820. In 1826 the family moved to White Plains, New York, with the school, and then in 1832 to Middletown, Connecticut, where his father became a professor of classical languages at the new Wesleyan University.[1] His father died in 1832 and was one of the first burials in the university cemetery.[2] Subsequently, having attended Wesleyan, the young Mott-Smith borrowed a book from a friend who was attending dental school and passed the exams to set up a practice in Albany, New York. He moved to California as part of the California Gold Rush in 1849 and practised dentistry there for two years. He sailed to Hawaii in early 1851.[3]
He was only the third Western-trained dentist in the Hawaiian Islands and the first to set up a permanent practice. Two others, M. B. Stevens and George Colburn left after brief stays in the previous two years.[3] For about 15 years he did most of the dental work in Honolulu. He shared an office building with physician William Hillebrand. In 1853 he had his first taste of politics when he was elected to the House of Representatives in the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom.[4]
His dentist office in 1853
In 1866 Mott-Smith gave up his dental practice to John Morgan Whitney, the first in Hawaii to actually graduate from a dental school.[3] He became editor of the newspaper Hawaiian Gazette. He used the paper to defend the monarchy, which gained him favor with King Kamehameha V, who made it the official government publication.[5] He returned to the legislature in 1866, and was elected Vice President of it in 1867. In 1868 he was sent to Washington, D.C., to help Elisha Hunt Allen negotiate a trade treaty, but was not successful. On December 21, 1869, he returned and was appointed to the powerful post of Minister of Finance in the cabinet. He served until August 25, 1872.[4] With the king's influence, he was an investor with fellow American politician Charles Coffin Harris in the first Hawaiian Hotel. The government issued bonds to finance its construction.[6] After Kamehameha V's death at the end of 1872, Mott-Smith was out of political power and resumed practising dentistry[3] while he was on the Board of Education until 1874.
After the liberal King Lunalilo died and King Kalākaua was elected in 1874, monarchists were back in political favor. On December 4, 1876, Mott-Smith was appointed Minister of Interior, serving until July 3, 1878. From 1876 through 1886 he served in the upper House of Nobles in the kingdom legislature when he was not traveling.[4] It was widely suspected that Kalākaua's replacement of his cabinet was influenced by Claus Spreckels, who refinanced the King's debts the night before, in order to secure water rights for his sugarcaneplantation on Maui.[7][8] Since the bachelor Lunalilo left no heirs, Mott-Smith was appointed to the first board of trustees of the Lunalilo Trust.[9] In 1884 he was put in charge of the Hawaii exhibits at the World Cotton Centennial in New Orleans, Louisiana. He returned and was appointed Minister of Finance by Queen Liliʻuokalani on July 28, 1891. However, by October 17, 1891, he resigned and was sent back to Washington.[4]Samuel Parker acted as finance minister both before and after him. His hope was to negotiate a replacement for the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875, but he was recalled after the 1893 Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His position was just below the diplomatic rank of 21st-century ambassador. He retired to Honolulu where he died August 10, 1895, after an illness of several weeks.[10][11] After a funeral at the Sain Andrew Cathedral he was buried in Oahu Cemetery.[12]
Family and legacyedit
In 1859 he married Ellen Dominis Paty. They had seven children. Son Ernest Augustus Mott-Smith was born May 12, 1873, went to Harvard Law School briefly, married Anna Elizabeth Paty in 1896 and became active in politics.[13] He practised law, and served on various government boards of the Territory of Hawaii, such as the Board of Health from 1901 to 1925, and territorial secretary from 1907–1914.[14] Other sons were Harold Meade Mott-Smith and Morton Churchill Mott-Smith. Daughters were Martha Paty Smith, Myra Harris Smith who married Reverend James B. Thomas, Ida Campbell Smith who married Robert Morss Lovett in Chicago, and May Henderson Smith. He left a substantial estate after investing in sugar plantations in Hawaii[15] which his newspaper had earlier promoted.[16]
^William Buell Sprague (1859). "John Mott Smith of the New York Conference". Annals of the American Pulpit: Methodist. [1859. Robert Carter & Brothers. pp. 567–569.
^. Wesleyan University web site. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
^ abcdRobert C. Schmitt (1983). "Royal Crowns and Historic Plaque: Dentistry in Hawaii during the 19th Century". Hawaiian Journal of History. Vol. 17. Hawaii Historical Society. pp. 143–155. hdl:10524/355.
^ abcd. state archives digital collections. state of Hawaii. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
^George F. Nellist, ed. (1925). "Dr. John Mott-Smith". The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders. Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
^Phillip H. Harris (1993). "Charles Coffin Harris: An Uncommon Life in the Law". Hawaiian Journal of History. Vol. 27. Hawaii Historical Society. pp. 151–171. hdl:10524/224.
^Jacob Adler (July 1965). "The Maui Land Deal: A Chapter in Claus Spreckels' Hawaiian Career". Agricultural History. 39 (3): 155–163. JSTOR 3740255.
^"Lunalilo Trust Leadership". King William Charles Lunalilo Trust. 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
^"Dr Mott-Smith Dead: Peaceful end of a veteran public man's career". Honolulu Evening Bulletin. August 10, 1895. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
^"Death of Mott-Smith: A Prominent Citizen Passes Away". The Independent. August 10, 1895. p. 3. hdl:10524/1157.
^Richard A. Greer (1967). "Here Lies History: Oahu Cemetery, a Mirror of Old Honolulu". Hawaiian Journal of History. Vol. 1. Hawaii Historical Society. p. 66. hdl:10524/384.
^John William Siddall (1921). Men of Hawaii: being a biographical reference library, complete and authentic, of the men of note and substantial achievement in the Hawaiian Islands. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. pp. 289–290.
^"Mott-Smith, Ernest A. office record". state archives digital collections. state of Hawaii. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
^"Dr. J. Smith's Will: Several legacies to relatives in New England". Honolulu Evening Bulletin. August 14, 1895. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
^Helen Geracimos Chapin (1996). Shaping history: the role of newspapers in Hawai'i. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 64–65. ISBN978-0-8248-1718-3.
^Robert C. Schmitt (1981). "Some Construction and Housing Firsts in Hawaii". Hawaiian Journal of History. Vol. 15. Hawaii Historical Society. p. 103. hdl:10524/222.
Further readingedit
Robert M. Gibson, Terry Lawhead (1989). Dr. John Mott-Smith: Hawaii's first royal dentist and last royal ambassador. Smilepower Institute. ISBN978-0-9623371-1-6.
john, mott, smith, november, 1824, august, 1895, first, dentist, permanent, practice, kingdom, hawaii, also, politician, newspaper, editor, diplomat, honourableminister, financein, office, december, 1869, august, 1872monarchkamehameha, vpreceded, bycharles, co. John Mott Smith November 25 1824 August 10 1895 was the first dentist to set up a permanent practice in the Kingdom of Hawaii He was also a politician newspaper editor and diplomat The HonourableJohn Mott SmithMinister of FinanceIn office December 21 1869 August 25 1872MonarchKamehameha VPreceded byCharles Coffin HarrisSucceeded byRobert StirlingIn office July 28 1891 October 17 1891MonarchLiliʻuokalaniPreceded bySamuel ParkerSucceeded bySamuel ParkerMinister of InteriorIn office December 5 1876 July 3 1878MonarchKalakauaPreceded byWilliam Luther MoehonuaSucceeded bySamuel Gardner WilderMinister to the United StatesIn office 1891 January 17 1893MonarchLiliʻuokalaniPreceded byHenry A P CarterPersonal detailsBorn 1824 11 25 November 25 1824New York City United StatesDiedAugust 10 1895 1895 08 10 aged 70 Honolulu Oahu Kingdom of HawaiiResting placeOahu CemeteryNationalityKingdom of HawaiiSpouseEllen Dominis PatyChildren7OccupationDentist diplomat politician Contents 1 Life 2 Family and legacy 3 See also 4 References 5 Further readingLife editJohn Mott Smith was born in New York City on November 13 1824 His father was also named John Mott Smith 1795 1832 generally spelled without the hyphen and mother was Amanda Day His father had trained as a physician but became a Methodist minister instead and was Principal of Wesleyan Seminary in New York in 1820 In 1826 the family moved to White Plains New York with the school and then in 1832 to Middletown Connecticut where his father became a professor of classical languages at the new Wesleyan University 1 His father died in 1832 and was one of the first burials in the university cemetery 2 Subsequently having attended Wesleyan the young Mott Smith borrowed a book from a friend who was attending dental school and passed the exams to set up a practice in Albany New York He moved to California as part of the California Gold Rush in 1849 and practised dentistry there for two years He sailed to Hawaii in early 1851 3 He was only the third Western trained dentist in the Hawaiian Islands and the first to set up a permanent practice Two others M B Stevens and George Colburn left after brief stays in the previous two years 3 For about 15 years he did most of the dental work in Honolulu He shared an office building with physician William Hillebrand In 1853 he had his first taste of politics when he was elected to the House of Representatives in the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom 4 nbsp His dentist office in 1853In 1866 Mott Smith gave up his dental practice to John Morgan Whitney the first in Hawaii to actually graduate from a dental school 3 He became editor of the newspaper Hawaiian Gazette He used the paper to defend the monarchy which gained him favor with King Kamehameha V who made it the official government publication 5 He returned to the legislature in 1866 and was elected Vice President of it in 1867 In 1868 he was sent to Washington D C to help Elisha Hunt Allen negotiate a trade treaty but was not successful On December 21 1869 he returned and was appointed to the powerful post of Minister of Finance in the cabinet He served until August 25 1872 4 With the king s influence he was an investor with fellow American politician Charles Coffin Harris in the first Hawaiian Hotel The government issued bonds to finance its construction 6 After Kamehameha V s death at the end of 1872 Mott Smith was out of political power and resumed practising dentistry 3 while he was on the Board of Education until 1874 After the liberal King Lunalilo died and King Kalakaua was elected in 1874 monarchists were back in political favor On December 4 1876 Mott Smith was appointed Minister of Interior serving until July 3 1878 From 1876 through 1886 he served in the upper House of Nobles in the kingdom legislature when he was not traveling 4 It was widely suspected that Kalakaua s replacement of his cabinet was influenced by Claus Spreckels who refinanced the King s debts the night before in order to secure water rights for his sugarcane plantation on Maui 7 8 Since the bachelor Lunalilo left no heirs Mott Smith was appointed to the first board of trustees of the Lunalilo Trust 9 In 1884 he was put in charge of the Hawaii exhibits at the World Cotton Centennial in New Orleans Louisiana He returned and was appointed Minister of Finance by Queen Liliʻuokalani on July 28 1891 However by October 17 1891 he resigned and was sent back to Washington 4 Samuel Parker acted as finance minister both before and after him His hope was to negotiate a replacement for the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 but he was recalled after the 1893 Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii His position was just below the diplomatic rank of 21st century ambassador He retired to Honolulu where he died August 10 1895 after an illness of several weeks 10 11 After a funeral at the Sain Andrew Cathedral he was buried in Oahu Cemetery 12 Family and legacy editIn 1859 he married Ellen Dominis Paty They had seven children Son Ernest Augustus Mott Smith was born May 12 1873 went to Harvard Law School briefly married Anna Elizabeth Paty in 1896 and became active in politics 13 He practised law and served on various government boards of the Territory of Hawaii such as the Board of Health from 1901 to 1925 and territorial secretary from 1907 1914 14 Other sons were Harold Meade Mott Smith and Morton Churchill Mott Smith Daughters were Martha Paty Smith Myra Harris Smith who married Reverend James B Thomas Ida Campbell Smith who married Robert Morss Lovett in Chicago and May Henderson Smith He left a substantial estate after investing in sugar plantations in Hawaii 15 which his newspaper had earlier promoted 16 A Mott Smith building and Mott Smith drive in Makiki at 21 18 33 N 157 50 13 W 21 30917 N 157 83694 W 21 30917 157 83694 Mott Smith drive are named for him 17 The three story brick building built in 1897 at the corner of Hotel and Fort Streets the site of his former office later known as The Hub contained the second electric elevator in Hawaii 18 See also editHawaiian Kingdom United States relations List of bilateral treaties signed by the Hawaiian KingdomReferences edit William Buell Sprague 1859 John Mott Smith of the New York Conference Annals of the American Pulpit Methodist 1859 Robert Carter amp Brothers pp 567 569 Wesleyan facts and trivia Wesleyan University web site Archived from the original on May 27 2010 Retrieved May 28 2010 a b c d Robert C Schmitt 1983 Royal Crowns and Historic Plaque Dentistry in Hawaii during the 19th Century Hawaiian Journal of History Vol 17 Hawaii Historical Society pp 143 155 hdl 10524 355 a b c d Mott Smith John office record state archives digital collections state of Hawaii Archived from the original on March 6 2012 Retrieved May 28 2010 George F Nellist ed 1925 Dr John Mott Smith The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders Honolulu Star Bulletin Phillip H Harris 1993 Charles Coffin Harris An Uncommon Life in the Law Hawaiian Journal of History Vol 27 Hawaii Historical Society pp 151 171 hdl 10524 224 Jacob Adler July 1965 The Maui Land Deal A Chapter in Claus Spreckels Hawaiian Career Agricultural History 39 3 155 163 JSTOR 3740255 Ralph Simpson Kuykendall 1967 Hawaiian Kingdom 1874 1893 the Kalakaua Dynasty Vol 3 University of Hawaii Press p 200 ISBN 978 0 87022 433 1 Lunalilo Trust Leadership King William Charles Lunalilo Trust 2009 Retrieved October 17 2010 Dr Mott Smith Dead Peaceful end of a veteran public man s career Honolulu Evening Bulletin August 10 1895 Retrieved May 28 2010 Death of Mott Smith A Prominent Citizen Passes Away The Independent August 10 1895 p 3 hdl 10524 1157 Richard A Greer 1967 Here Lies History Oahu Cemetery a Mirror of Old Honolulu Hawaiian Journal of History Vol 1 Hawaii Historical Society p 66 hdl 10524 384 John William Siddall 1921 Men of Hawaii being a biographical reference library complete and authentic of the men of note and substantial achievement in the Hawaiian Islands Honolulu Star Bulletin pp 289 290 Mott Smith Ernest A office record state archives digital collections state of Hawaii Retrieved May 28 2010 Dr J Smith s Will Several legacies to relatives in New England Honolulu Evening Bulletin August 14 1895 Retrieved May 28 2010 Helen Geracimos Chapin 1996 Shaping history the role of newspapers in Hawai i University of Hawaii Press pp 64 65 ISBN 978 0 8248 1718 3 Mary Kawena Pukui Samuel H Elbert Esther T Mookini July 1974 Place names of Hawaii University of Hawaii Press p 158 ISBN 978 0 8248 0524 1 Robert C Schmitt 1981 Some Construction and Housing Firsts in Hawaii Hawaiian Journal of History Vol 15 Hawaii Historical Society p 103 hdl 10524 222 Further reading editRobert M Gibson Terry Lawhead 1989 Dr John Mott Smith Hawaii s first royal dentist and last royal ambassador Smilepower Institute ISBN 978 0 9623371 1 6 Government officesPreceded byCharles Coffin Harris Kingdom of Hawaii Minister of Finance1869 1872 Succeeded byRobert StirlingPreceded byWilliam Luther Moehonua Kingdom of Hawaii Minister of Interior1876 1878 Succeeded bySamuel G WilderPreceded bySamuel Parker Kingdom of Hawaii Minister of FinanceJuly 1891 October 1891 Succeeded bySamuel ParkerDiplomatic postsPreceded byHenry A P Carter Kingdom of Hawaii Minister to U S 1891 1893 Succeeded byKingdom overthrown Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Mott Smith amp oldid 1178802698, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
