Samuel Pomeroy Colt graduated from Columbia Law School and began his career in public service as a military aide-de-camp to a Rhode Island governor. He held various legal positions, including Assistant Attorney General and Attorney General of Rhode Island. Colt founded the Industrial Trust Company, which evolved into a significant financial institution. He also played a pivotal role in restructuring and merging rubber companies, leading to the formation of a major global rubber goods producer.

Samuel Pomeroy Colt's political identity is shaped by a unique blend of economic innovation and traditional public service. He championed progressive stances like regulating child labor and advancing women's property rights, yet his economic endeavors, including founding the Industrial Trust Company and reorganizing the National Rubber Company, reveal a penchant for large-scale industrial consolidation. Colt's approach to government service is equally distinctive, oscillating between roles in the military, legislative, and executive branches, while his personal life choices, such as separating from his wife and not remarrying, add layers to his enigmatic persona.