Smith Motor Wheel Party Favor Survives

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Guests seated at table
Beginning with Reuben Stanley Smith (R. Stanley Smith) who is in the immediate foreground in the above photograph and moving counter-clockwise, the gentlemen seated are F.P. Obenberger, W.V.C. Jackson, F.W. Lawrence, H.G. Westmar, W.J. Zimmers, J.J. Stamm, James L. Sinyard, L.R. Smith, C.S. Smith, John P. Kelley, Henry Johnson, and T.M. Custer.

 

On January 16, 1915, the A.O. Smith Corporation hosted a party in the Red Room at the Hotel Pfister in Milwaukee to honor those directly involved with the Smith Motor Wheel. To commemorate the occasion, a party favor was handed-out as a keepsake.

The gentlemen seated at the table in the above photograph at the Hotel Pfister party, were immortalized on the party favor and individually wrote autographs under their photographs, three portraits per circular party favor component. L.R. Smith, President of the A.O. Smith Corporation, was shown in the middle of the red circular component.

 

Ruben at party
Ruben at party.

 

Reuben Stanley Smith, the designer of the Smith Motor Wheel, saved his party favor and took it home that evening. It has survived over 100 years. It is shown on the table to his left in the photograph above. This original party favor is shown below.

 

Smith party favor.

 

See year 1914 on the time-line for an in depth article describing the Smith Motor Wheel.