On This Day In Alabama History: William Russell Smith, Playwright And Politician, Was Born

By Alabama NewsCenter Staff

March 27, 1815

William Russell Smith was born on this day in Russellville, Kentucky. After his father died, his mother moved the family to Huntsville and then to Tuscaloosa in 1820. His mother died three years later, and he and four siblings were raised in foster homes. The outstanding student found a sponsor who financed his study at the University of Alabama, where Smith began writing poetry. He left school without graduating and studied law, passing the bar and practicing in Greensboro. After moving to Mobile, Smith established The Bachelor’s Button, the state’s first literary magazine. Smith returned to Tuscaloosa, edited a newspaper and entered politics. He served in the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama. 

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