Born in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Attended Vanderbilt University. Married Evelyn Cook January 5, 1920. They had one daughter.

Snyder served in the Army during WW I. He served in the Army of Occupation and was discharged in 1919 with the rank of captain. He served with another artillery captain, Harry S. Truman.

Employed 1919 to 1931 as assistant cashier for the First Natioanl Bank of Forrest City, Arkansas, and cashier for the Bank of Steel, Missouri, and the First Natioanal Bank of Blytheville, Arkansas. From 1931 to 1937 with Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in Washington, D.C.

Executive vice president and director of Defense Plant Corp. 1940 to 1943. In July 1945 he was appointed Director of the Office of War Mobilization and Reconstruction.

Appointed Secretary of the Treasury by President Truman and served June 25, 1946, to January 20, 1953. His signature appears on Legal Tender Notes, series of 1928-F and 1928-G; Silver Certificates, series of 1928-D, 1933, 1934-B, 1934-C, 1934-D, 1935-B, 1935-C, and 1935-D; and Federal Reserve Notes, series of 1934-B, 1934-C, 1934-D and 1950. Served on the NATO Council 1949 to 1953. In 1962 he donated a collection of choice type coins to the Harry S Truman library.

He was a 33rd degree Mason and a Shriner. He died on Seabrook Island, South Carolina. Snyder appears on a mint medal (USM 216) as one of the series for Secretaries of the Treasury. The obverse was by John Jay Sinnock. Reverse die was by George T. Morgan.

bio: BDEB; Failor; IntWW 83; WWA 84

obit: CW 10/23/1985; NYT 10/9/85