About Dena A. Smith
Lived 1899 – 1968 (aged 68). Dena A. Smith was an American politician.
Dena A. Smith (October 19, 1899 – February 20, 1968) was the state treasurer of Wisconsin from 1957 to 1959 and from 1961 until her death in office in 1968. She was the first woman to be elected to a statewide constitutional office in Wisconsin.
She was born in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, as Dena Besserdich, the daughter of Charles Besserdich and Emma Stups Besserdich. Smith was a business manager for music stores in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Active in party politics, Smith served three terms as vice chairman of the 4th congressional district Republican executive committee and was a Republican presidential elector in 1960.
She assisted her husband Warren R. Smith as deputy treasurer when he was state treasurer, and she was appointed to succeed him when he died by Governor Vernon Thomson. She was elected to the office in 1960 and she served until her death from double pneumonia on February 20, 1968.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Dena A. Smith's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Dena A. Smith?
American politician
When was Dena A. Smith born?
Dena A. Smith was born on 19 October 1899.
When did Dena A. Smith die?
Dena A. Smith died on 20 February 1968.
What was Dena A. Smith's occupation?
Dena A. Smith was a politician.
What nationality was Dena A. Smith?
Dena A. Smith was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dena A. Smith. https://biography.guide/dena-a-smith/
MLA: "Dena A. Smith." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dena-a-smith/.
Chicago: "Dena A. Smith." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dena-a-smith/.
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