Maurice Connolly
Maurice Connolly | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 3rd district | |
In office March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915 | |
Preceded by | Charles E. Pickett |
Succeeded by | Burton E. Sweet |
Personal details | |
Born | Dubuque, Iowa, U.S. | March 13, 1877
Died | May 28, 1921 Indian Head, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 44)
Cause of death | Plane crash |
Resting place | Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West, Iowa, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Rank | Major |
Battles/wars | |
Maurice Connolly (March 13, 1877 – May 28, 1921) was elected in 1912 to a single term as a Democratic member of the
Background
He was born in
Congress
Connolly ran as a Democrat for Congress in 1912, against incumbent Republican Charles E. Pickett. Connolly's hometown of Dubuque was a Democratic-leaning city at the edge of Iowa's strongly-Republican 3rd congressional district, which in Connolly's lifetime had elected only Republicans. Indeed, in every election since 1890, Republicans captured either all or all but one of Iowa's eleven seats in the U.S. House, while holding each seat in the Senate. When Iowa Republicans were divided between Theodore Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party candidacy and Republican Party nominee William Howard Taft, Connolly tied himself closely to Democratic presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson.[1] Along with incumbent Democrat Irvin S. Pepper in Iowa's 2nd congressional district and Democrat Sanford Kirkpatrick in Iowa's 6th congressional district, Connolly was elected in 1912 to the Sixty-third Congress.
Senate candidacy
In 1914 Iowans had their first opportunity to directly elect a U.S. Senator; until the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1913, the U.S. Constitution had authorized only state legislatures to choose senators. In 1913, 37-year-old Congressman Pepper was the presumptive favorite to win the Democratic nomination for Senate,[2] to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Albert B. Cummins, but Pepper died unexpectedly in December 1913. Connolly ran in the Democratic primary for the nomination.[3] He defeated Edwin T. Meredith in the primary, but was defeated by Senator Cummins in the general election.
Connolly was replaced in the House by Republican Burton E. Sweet, who had defeated Democrat J.C. Murtagh. In all, Connolly served in Congress from March 4, 1913 to March 3, 1915.
Military service
After leaving Congress, Connolly returned to Dubuque to run his family's carriage company. He also became an executive of Dubuque Fire and Insurance Company.[4] Connolly was an at-large delegate to the 1916 Democratic National Convention. President Wilson appointed him as postmaster of Dubuque.[4]
After the United States entered World War I, Connolly enlisted, earning his flight wings and serving as captain, then major, in the
Connolly and future New York City Mayor
Death
Following the war, Connolly became the Washington representative for the
He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Key West, Iowa.[7]
See also
- List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (pre-1925)
References
- ^ a b c Editorial, "Made in Iowa," Waterloo Times-Tribune, 1912-09-22 at p. 4.
- ^ "Congressman Pepper is Dead," Estherville Democrat, 1913-12-23 at p. 1.
- ^ Advertisement, Des Moines Daily News, 1914-05-31 at p. 5.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Dubuque Manufacturer Killed in Worst U.S. Airplane Accident," Waterloo Evening Courier, 1921-05-30 at p.1.
- ^ a b c "Connolly in New York," Adams County Free Press, 1920-04-24 at p.1.
- ^ "Probe Death of 7 in Plane," The Des Moines News, 1921-05-30 at p. 1.
- ^ Find-a-grave entry for Maurice Connolly (accessed 2006-01-26).
- United States Congress. "Maurice Connolly (id: C000699)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.