Andrew Smith Hallidie (March 16, 1836 – April 24, 1900) was an American entrepreneur who was the promoter of the Clay Street Hill Railroad in San Francisco.

He also introduced the manufacture of wire rope to California, and at an early age was a prolific builder of bridges in the Californian interior.

[1] At age 13 the younger Smith was initially apprenticed to a machine shop and drawing office operated by his older brother Archibald.

Under the name of A. S. Hallidie & Co., he began manufacturing wire rope in a building at Mason and Chestnut Streets, using the machinery from American Bar.

In 1863, he built a bridge across the Fraser River, 10 miles (16 km) upstream of Yale at Alexandra in British Columbia.

The following year, he became a US citizen, and in 1865, he gave up bridge building and devoted himself entirely to his wire rope manufacturing business, which was experiencing increased demand from silver mines on the Comstock Lode.

He served as a regent of the University of California from 1868 until his death, and as a trustee and vice-president of the San Francisco Mechanics Institute in 1864 and president from 1868 to 1877 and from 1893 to 1895.

[1] He was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery,[4] and his remains were moved to Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, California by 1941.