Frederic L. Smith
| Frederic L. Smith | |
|---|---|
Frederick Latta Smith, c. 1904
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| Born |
February 6, 1870 Lansing, Michigan |
| Died | August 6, 1954 (aged 84) Beverly Hills, California |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Known for | Football player/Automotive pioneer |
Frederic Latta Smith (February 6, 1870 – August 6, 1954) was an American football player and pioneer of the automobile business. He played on the college football team at the University of Michigan and was the quarterback of the 1888 Michigan Wolverines football team. He later became a pioneer in the automobile business in Michigan. He was one of the founders of the Olds Motor Works in 1899 and of General Motors Corporation in 1908. He was also the president of the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers in its early years when it used its pool of patent rights, including the Selden patent, to preclude Henry Ford and others from entering the automobile manufacturing business.
Smith was born in 1870 in Lansing, Michigan. He was the son of copper and lumber magnate, Samuel Latta Smith (1830–1917), and Eliza Cordelia (Seager) Smith. He attended Lansing High School and the Michigan Military Academy, graduating from the latter institution in 1886.
Smith enrolled at the University of Michigan in October 1886. While attending Michigan, he played college football and was the starting quarterback for the 1888 Michigan Wolverines football team. He also won the light-weight wrestling championship medal. He was also a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity at Michigan. Smith's cousin, Henry Rogers Seager, was also a member of the same fraternity at Michigan and later became a noted economist.
Smith graduated from Michigan in 1890 and subsequently studied at the University of Berlin from 1891 to 1892.
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Wikipedia