- J. Howard McGrath
Infobox Governor
name = James Howard McGrath
order = 60th
caption = McGrath (middle) withTheodore Francis Green (middle left) andHarry S. Truman (far right).
office = Governor of Rhode Island
term_start = 1941
term_end = 1945
lieutenant =
predecessor =William Henry Vanderbilt III
successor =John O. Pastore
birth_date = birth date|1903|11|28
birth_place =Woonsocket, Rhode Island
death_date = death date and age|1966|09|02|1903|11|28
death_place =Narragansett, Rhode Island
party = Democrat
spouse =
profession =
religion =James Howard McGrath (
November 28 1903 –September 2 1966 ) was an American politician andattorney from theU.S. state ofRhode Island .McGrath, a Democrat, served as U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island before becoming Governor, U.S. Solicitor General, U.S. Senator, chairman of the
Democratic National Committee and Attorney General of the United States.McGrath was born in
Woonsocket, Rhode Island . He graduated fromLa Salle Academy, Providence in 1922, fromProvidence College in 1926, and fromBoston University in 1929. From 1930 to 1934 he was the city solicitor ofCentral Falls, Rhode Island . During this time he was also interested in thereal estate ,insurance , andbanking industries. He served as United States Attorney for the District ofRhode Island from 1934 to 1940.From 1940 until 1945, he was
Governor of Rhode Island , reorganizing the juvenile court system while sponsoring a workers' compensation fund and a labor relations board, but he resigned in the middle of his third term to accept appointment asSolicitor General of the United States (1945-46).McGrath was elected as a Democrat to the
United States Senate from Rhode Island in 1946, joining an80th Congress (1947-49) that had unaccustomed Republican majorities in both houses. He was briefly chairman of theU.S. Senate Committee on the District of Columbia for the81st Congress (to which the 1948 election had returned Democratic majorities). In the Senate, McGrath opposed reducing wartime economic controls and taxes, wishing to spend the latter instead on Social Security, national health insurance and education. [http://www.answers.com/topic/j-howard-mcgrath "J. Howard McGrath" in "West's Encyclopedia of American Law" (1998)]He was chairman of the
Democratic National Committee from 1947 to 1949. In managing PresidentHarry Truman 's successful 1948 election campaign, McGrath alienated white Southerners but won over crucial black constituencies by integrating the Democratic national headquarters staff. [http://www.answers.com/topic/j-howard-mcgrath "J. Howard McGrath" in "West's Encyclopedia of American Law" (1998)]President Truman appointed Sen. McGrath
Attorney General of the United States onAugust 24 ,1949 . He resigned onApril 3 ,1952 , after he had refused to cooperate in a corruption investigation initiated by his own department. Truman asked for and received McGrath's resignation. [Marcus, "Truman and the Steel Seizure Case: The Limits of Presidential Power," 1977, p. 35-36.]McGrath entered the private practice of law in
Washington, D.C. , and Providence. In 1960, he was an unsuccessful candidate to succeed the retiring U.S. Sen.Theodore Francis Green (Democrat of Rhode Island), losing the Democratic primary (also contested by former Gov.Dennis J. Roberts ) toClaiborne Pell .McGrath died in
Narragansett, Rhode Island , in 1966, aged 62, and is buried in St. Francis Cemetery,Pawtucket, Rhode Island .Notes
References
*"J. Howard McGrath, Ex-Attorney General, Dies." "New York Times." September 3, 1966.
*Levieros, Anthony. "Upsets Come Fast; Resignation of McGrath Follows Quickly His Ousting of Morris." "New York Times." April 4, 1952.
*Marcus, Maeva. "Truman and the Steel Seizure Case: The Limits of Presidential Power." New York: Columbia University Press, 1977. ISBN 0231041268External links
* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000456 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]
* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/ National Governors Association]
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/j-howard-mcgrath West's Encycylopedia of American Law at Answers.com] , provides more details than the other sources, especially about McGrath's early life, his commitment to civil rights and the financial scandals that touched him.
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