Representative Smith McPherson

Smith McPherson (February 14, 1848 – January 17, 1915) was a United States representative from Iowa and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. A member of the Republican Party, he served one term in Congress before embarking on a long federal judicial career that extended until his death in 1915.

McPherson was born on February 14, 1848, near Mooresville in Morgan County, Indiana. He was educated in the common schools of the area and attended Mooresville Academy, receiving the basic and classical training typical of mid-19th-century Midwestern academies. Seeking professional advancement in the law, he moved to Iowa and enrolled in the University of Iowa College of Law, from which he received a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1870.

Immediately upon completing his legal education, McPherson was admitted to the bar in 1870 and began practicing law in Red Oak, Iowa. He engaged in private practice there from 1870 to 1874, quickly establishing himself in the local legal community. His abilities led to his selection as district attorney for the Third Judicial District of Iowa, a position he held from 1874 to 1880. In that capacity, he was responsible for prosecuting criminal cases and representing the state in important legal matters during a period of rapid growth and change in Iowa.

McPherson’s record as a district attorney propelled him to statewide office. He served as Attorney General of Iowa from 1881 to 1885, acting as the chief legal officer of the state and advising state officials on legal questions while representing Iowa in significant litigation. After completing his term as attorney general, he returned to private practice in Red Oak, resuming his legal work there from 1885 to 1899. During these years he remained active in Republican politics and built the reputation that would support his later candidacy for Congress.

As a member of the Republican Party representing Iowa, McPherson contributed to the legislative process during one term in office. In August 1898, he sought the Republican nomination for Iowa’s 9th congressional district, challenging incumbent Congressman Alva L. Hager and two other candidates. The nominating convention became notable for its length and intensity; for several days no candidate secured the required number of votes. On the 618th ballot, after Hager threw his support to him, McPherson finally prevailed and won the nomination. He was subsequently elected to the United States House of Representatives for the 56th Congress and served from March 4, 1899, until his resignation on June 6, 1900. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, and he participated in the democratic process by representing the interests of his constituents in western Iowa, although his tenure was cut short by his acceptance of a federal judgeship.

McPherson’s transition from legislator to jurist came in 1900, when President William McKinley nominated him on April 3, 1900, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, vacated by Judge John Simson Woolson. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on May 7, 1900, and he received his commission the same day. As a United States district judge, McPherson presided over a wide range of federal civil and criminal matters during a period marked by industrial expansion, labor disputes, and evolving federal regulatory authority. He remained on the bench for nearly fifteen years, shaping the application of federal law in Iowa.

In his final year on the bench, McPherson issued a notable decision upholding the constitutionality of Iowa’s workers’ compensation statute against a challenge by an employer who alleged that the law violated due process. By sustaining the statute, he contributed to the legal foundation for early 20th-century labor and social welfare legislation, reflecting the judiciary’s growing acceptance of state efforts to regulate workplace conditions and provide remedies for injured workers.

Smith McPherson’s judicial service ended with his death in Red Oak, Iowa, on January 17, 1915. His tenure on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa thus extended from May 7, 1900, until his death. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Red Oak, the community where he had long practiced law and which had been the center of his professional and public life.