Individual Details

On the 1930 U. S. Census of Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, Wiley S. Smith, age 47 appears. He is single, not a veteran, and works as an editor of a newspaper. He is living at the Norman Hotel on Wilson Ave.

Rockford Register-Republic, Rockford, Illinois, March 26, 1947, Page 2: Veteran Hearst Editor Will Be Buried Here. Services and burial will take place in Rockford at a time to be later for Wiley S. Smith, 59, a veteran Hearst editor who died of a heart attack in his New York City hotel last night. Mr. Smith was a brother of Miss Mabel Smith, 2114 Douglas street and Mrs. Ethel Steffan, 1930 South Main street. A veteran of 30 years association with the Hearst organization, Mr. Smith had spent most of that time in Chicago as editor of the old Universal News service. He last visited Rockford in 1943 when he spent several days here en route to California. In 1942, Mr. Smith succeeded the late Clyde West as editor of the Hearst Service wire. A native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., he was born Oct. 28, 1887. His mother was a member of the Scribner publishing family and his grandfather, a noted plantation owner. He began his newspaper career in 1900 on the Gadsden, Ala., Journal. Mr. Smith was a former editor of a newspaper in Mexico and an authority on Latin American affairs. Services are being arranged at the McAllister-Julian-Poorman funeral home, 304 North 5th street.

Rockford Register-Republic, Rockford, Illinois, March 27, 1947, Page 17: Last rites for Wiley S. Smith, 59, veteran Hearst editor who died Tuesday night of a heart attack in his New York City apartment, will be conducted here Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the McAllister-Julian-Poorman funeral home, 304 North 5 th street. The Rev. Harold G. Whitfield, pastor of the First Presbyterian church will officiate and interment will be in Willwood park. Friends may call at the funeral home tomorrow night.

There appears to be a 6 year difference in age in some accounts of his life. One newspaper did have his age at 66 but 5 others stated 59 as his age. Also one states he was born at Murfreesboro, Tennessee but other sources show Wisconsin.

Birth	28 Oct 1881	Jamestown, Grant Co., Wisconsin
Death	26 Mar 1947	New York, New York Co., New York
Residence		Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois
Burial		Willwood Burial Park, Rockford, Winnebago Co., Illinois

Father	Morgan J. Smith (1840 - 1908)
Mother	Mary Elizabeth Carns (1852 - 1896)
Sibling	Mabel L. Smith (1883 - 1975)
Sibling	Ethel E. Smith (1886 - 1974)
Sibling	Wesley Cecil Smith (1890 - 1895)