John Mott-Smith
Encyclopedia
John Mott-Smith was the first dentist to set up a permanent practice in the Kingdom of Hawaii
. He was also a politician, newspaper editor, and diplomat.
His father was also named John Mott Smith (1795–1832), generally spelled without the hyphen, and mother was Amada 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
. His father died in 1832 and was one of the first burials in the university cemetery.
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.
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.
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
.
In 1866 Mott-Smith gave up his dental practice to John Morgan Whitney, the first in Hawaii to actually graduate from a dental school.
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. He returned to the legislature in 1866, and was elected Vice President of it in 1867.
In 1868 he was sent to Washington, DC 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.
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.
After Kamehameha V's death at the end of 1872, Mott-Smith was out of political power and resumed practising dentistry 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.
It was widely suspected that Kalākaua's replacement of his cabinet was influenced by Claus Spreckles, who refinanced the King's debts the night before, in order to secure water rights for his sugarcane
plantation on Maui
.
Since the bachelor Lunalilo left no heirs, Mott-Smith was appointed to the first board of trustees of the Lunalilo Trust.
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 Liliuokalani on July 28, 1891. However, by October 17, 1891 he resigned and was sent back to Washington.
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 modern-day Ambasador.
He retired to Honolulu where he died August 10, 1895 after an illness of several weeks.
After a funeral at the Sain Andrew Cathedral
he was buried in Oahu Cemetery
.
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.
He practised law, and served on various government boards of the Territory of Hawaii
, such as the Board of Health from 1901–1925, and territorial secretary from 1907–1914.
Other sons were Harold Meade Smith and Martin Churchill Smith. Daughters were Martha Paty Smith, Myra Harris Smith who married Reverend James B. Thomas, Ida Campbell Smith who married R. M. Lovett in Chicago
, and May Henderson Smith. He left a substantial estate after investing in sugar plantations in Hawaii
which his newspaper had earlier promoted.
A Mott-Smith building and Mott-Smith drive in Makiki
at 21°18′33"N 157°50′13"W are named for him.
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.
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
. He was also a politician, newspaper editor, and diplomat.
Life
John Mott-Smith was born in New York City November 13, 1824,His father was also named John Mott Smith (1795–1832), generally spelled without the hyphen, and mother was Amada 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
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
with the school, and then in 1832 to Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
where his father became a professor of classical languages at the new Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
. His father died in 1832 and was one of the first burials in the university cemetery.
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
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. He moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as part of the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
in 1849 and practised dentistry there for two years. He sailed to Hawaii in early 1851.
He was only the third Western-trained dentist in the Hawaiian islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
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.
For about 15 years he did most of the dental work in Honolulu.
He shared an office building with physician William Hillebrand
William Hillebrand
William Hillebrand was a German physician. He traveled the world, including over 20 years in the Hawaiian islands. In 1850, Hillebrand lived at what is now Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu. He also became known as a botanist.-Life and career:...
. 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
Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom was the bicameral legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term "Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom", and the first to subject the monarch to...
.
In 1866 Mott-Smith gave up his dental practice to John Morgan Whitney, the first in Hawaii to actually graduate from a dental school.
He became editor of the newspaper Hawaiian Gazette. He used the paper to defend the monarchy, which gained him favor with King Kamehameha V
Kamehameha V
aloghaKamehameha V , born as Lot Kapuāiwa, reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872. His motto was "Onipa`a": immovable, firm, steadfast or determined; he worked diligently for his people and kingdom and was described as the last great traditional chief...
, who made it the official government publication. He returned to the legislature in 1866, and was elected Vice President of it in 1867.
In 1868 he was sent to Washington, DC to help Elisha Hunt Allen
Elisha Hunt Allen
Elisha Hunt Allen was an American congressman, lawyer, diplomat, and judge and diplomat for the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Elisha Hunt Allen was born January 28, 1804 in New Salem, Massachusetts. His father was Massachusetts minister, lawyer, and politician Samuel Clesson Allen and mother was Mary...
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.
With the king's influence, he was an investor with fellow American politician Charles Coffin Harris
Charles Coffin Harris
Charles Coffin Harris was a New England lawyer who became a politician and judge in the Kingdom of Hawaii who firmly supported the monarchy as an independent nation. After serving in a number of cabinet posts, he became chief justice of the supreme court.-Early life:Charles Coffin Harris was born...
in the first Hawaiian Hotel. The government issued bonds to finance its construction.
After Kamehameha V's death at the end of 1872, Mott-Smith was out of political power and resumed practising dentistry while he was on the Board of Education until 1874.
After the liberal King Lunalilo
Lunalilo
Lunalilo, born William Charles Lunalilo , was king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from January 8, 1873 until February 3, 1874...
died and King Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
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.
It was widely suspected that Kalākaua's replacement of his cabinet was influenced by Claus Spreckles, who refinanced the King's debts the night before, in order to secure water rights for his sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
plantation on Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
.
Since the bachelor Lunalilo left no heirs, Mott-Smith was appointed to the first board of trustees of the Lunalilo Trust.
In 1884 he was put in charge of the Hawaii exhibits at the World Cotton Centennial
World Cotton Centennial
The 1884 World's Fair was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. At a time when nearly one third of all cotton produced in the United States was handled in New Orleans and the city was home to the Cotton Exchange, the idea for the fair was first advanced by the Cotton Planters Association...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
He returned and was appointed Minister of Finance by Queen Liliuokalani on July 28, 1891. However, by October 17, 1891 he resigned and was sent back to Washington.
Samuel Parker
Samuel Parker (Hawaii)
Samuel Parker, known as Kamuela Parker was a major landowner and businessman on the island of Hawaii, heir to the Parker Ranch estate...
acted as finance minister both before and after him.
His hope was to negotiate a replacement for the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
The Treaty of reciprocity between the United States of America and the Hawaiian Kingdom was a free trade agreement signed and ratified in 1875 that is generally known as 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
Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
of modern-day Ambasador.
He retired to Honolulu where he died August 10, 1895 after an illness of several weeks.
After a funeral at the Sain Andrew Cathedral
Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu
The Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, also commonly known as St. Andrew's Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church in the United States located in the State of Hawaii...
he was buried in Oahu Cemetery
Oahu Cemetery
The Oahu Cemetery is the resting place of many notable early residents of the Honolulu area. They range from missionaries and politicians to sports pioneers and philosophers. Over time it was expanded to become an area known as the Nuuanu Cemetery....
.
Family and legacy
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.
He practised law, and served on various government boards of the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
, such as the Board of Health from 1901–1925, and territorial secretary from 1907–1914.
Other sons were Harold Meade Smith and Martin Churchill Smith. Daughters were Martha Paty Smith, Myra Harris Smith who married Reverend James B. Thomas, Ida Campbell Smith who married R. M. Lovett in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and May Henderson Smith. He left a substantial estate after investing in sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugarcane was introduced to Hawaii by its first inhabitants in approximately 600 AD and was observed by Captain Cook upon arrival in the islands in 1778. Sugar quickly turned into a big business and generated rapid population growth in the islands with 337,000 people immigrating over the span of a...
which his newspaper had earlier promoted.
A Mott-Smith building and Mott-Smith drive in Makiki
Makiki
Makiki is an area of Honolulu, Hawaii located northeast of downtown Honolulu generally stretching east to west from Punahou Street to Pensacola Street and north to south from Round Top Drive/Makiki Heights Drive to Lunalilo Freeway. Punchbowl, an extinct tuff cone, and Tantalus, tower over the...
at 21°18′33"N 157°50′13"W are named for him.
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.
See also
- Relations between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the United StatesRelations between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the United StatesKingdom of Hawaii – United States relations refers to the historical relationship between the independent Kingdom of Hawaii and the United States...
- List of bilateral treaties signed by the Kingdom of Hawaii