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Wilmot Moses Smith

1852 – 1906

American judge

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About Wilmot Moses Smith

Lived 1852 – 1906 (aged 53–54). Wilmot Moses Smith was an American lawyer, judge, songwriter and jurist.

Wilmot Moses Smith (March 1, 1852 – 1906) was an American jurist and songwriter. He served on the New York Supreme Court.

In 1872, while attending Cornell University, he and his roommate, Archibald Croswell Weeks, composed the lyrics to "Far Above Cayuga's Waters", which would become Cornell's alma mater.

Early life Born in Hauppauge, New York, to Moses R. Smith and Mary H. (Wood) Smith, Smith went to schools in Smithtown, New York. He attended Cornell University, where he was a brother of Delta Upsilon and earned a law degree in 1877.

Law career Smith was admitted to the New York bar in 1877, and began practicing law in Patchogue, New York in 1879. He married Lizzie L. Mott on November 24, 1881. He was the district attorney of Suffolk County in 1884 until he became a county judge in 1891.

Resting place He and his wife are buried in the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Patchogue, New York. In 1970 his crypt was broken into by a group of teenagers. Lizzie Smith's skeleton was discovered floating in the Patchogue River. Both he and his wife were re-interred in a new Crypt in Cedar Grove. The Wilmont M. Smith Elementary School aka. Bay Avenue built in 1908 in Patchogue, New York was named for him.

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Important facts

Birth century
Died
1906, Patchogue, New York
Nationality
Education
Cornell University

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Wilmot Moses Smith's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Wilmot Moses Smith?

American judge (1852–1906)

When was Wilmot Moses Smith born?

Wilmot Moses Smith was born on 1 March 1852 in Hauppauge.

When did Wilmot Moses Smith die?

Wilmot Moses Smith died in 1906 in Patchogue, New York.

What was Wilmot Moses Smith's occupation?

Wilmot Moses Smith was a lawyer, judge, songwriter and jurist.

What nationality was Wilmot Moses Smith?

Wilmot Moses Smith was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Wilmot Moses Smith

· Wikidata: Q8022833

· DBpedia: Wilmot Moses Smith

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Wilmot Moses Smith. https://biography.guide/wilmot-moses-smith/

MLA: "Wilmot Moses Smith." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/wilmot-moses-smith/.

Chicago: "Wilmot Moses Smith." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/wilmot-moses-smith/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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