Clement Smoot
An early 20th-century American golfer who claimed Olympic gold in the sport's chaotic and only team tournament appearance.
1884–1963 (age 79)·American golfer·Birthday: April 7·The Lost Generation
Biography
Clement Smoot was a standout amateur golfer from Chicago during the sport's formative years in the United States. A member of the prestigious Chicago Golf Club, he was part of a talented cohort that included future champions. His moment on the international stage came at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, an event so poorly organized that many foreign athletes did not attend. In the men's team event, a peculiar competition format, Smoot played for the 'United States (Western Golf Association)' team, which triumphed to win the gold medal. While individual Olympic glory eluded him, that team victory secured his place in the odd and early history of Olympic golf. He continued to compete in national amateur events for years, embodying the gentleman-amateur spirit of his era.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Clement was born in 1884, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clement Was Born
The biggest hits of 1884
Clement's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1884Born
President: Chester A. Arthur
1889Started school
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1897Became a teenager
President: William McKinley
1900Could drive
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1902Could vote
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Turned 21
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Turned 30
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Turned 40
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1934Turned 50
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1944Turned 60
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 70
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1963Died at 79
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
Key Achievements
- Won a gold medal in the men's team event at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis.
- Was a semi-finalist in the U.S. Amateur championship in 1902.
- Served as the president of the Chicago District Golf Association in the 1930s.
Did You Know?
The 1904 Olympic golf events were held at Glen Echo Country Club in Missouri.
Only American and Canadian golfers competed in the 1904 Olympic golf tournaments.
He worked as a stockbroker in Chicago throughout his adult life.
He was a longtime member of the Chicago Golf Club, one of the oldest clubs in the U.S.
“A good mashie shot requires a firm wrist and a quiet head.”
