Sydney Nesmith

Sydney Nesmith was an assistant to the Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Congress. One night in early 1942, he awoke Congresswoman Flora Blackford and several other Congressmen and Senators who lived in the same building to inform them of an emergency joint session of Congress. He drove the group to Congressional Hall where the joint session was informed of the death of President Al Smith and witnessed the swearing in of Vice-president Charles LaFollette.