J. Howard McGrath

J. Howard McGrath

James Howard McGrath (born November 28, 1903 in Woonsocket , Rhode Island , †  September 2, 1966 in Narragansett , Rhode Island) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, governor of Rhode Island , solicitor general , US Senator and attorney general ( Attorney General) .

Studies and professional career

McGrath first completed general education studies at the LaSalla Academy ( Providence ) and Providence College , which he finished in 1922 and 1926 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) . He then studied law at Boston University , which he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in 1929 .

In 1929 he was admitted to the bar in the state of Rhode Island. However, in 1930 he took up the position of legal advisor ( solicitor ) for the small town of Central Falls . Between 1934 and 1935 he worked briefly as a lawyer and during this time also began business activities in the field of real estate, banks and insurance. From 1935 to 1940 he was a federal attorney for Rhode Island.

After retiring from political life, he worked as a lawyer in Washington and Providence.

Political career

Rhode Island Governor and Senator

J. Howard McGrath (second from right) with US President Harry S. Truman (right) and Senator Theodore F. Green (second from left).

McGrath began his political career in 1940 when he was elected governor of Rhode Island. He held this office until 1945.

In 1946 he was elected to the United States Senate as a Democratic Party candidate . There he represented the interests of his state from 1947 to 1949. During this time he was also chairman of the Democratic National Committee and thus de facto party chairman of the Democrats. He was also for a short time from January 3 to August 24, 1949 Chairman of the Senate Committee for the District of Columbia .

Minister of Justice under President Truman

Between his terms as governor and senator, he was Solicitor General from 1945 to 1946 and thus the official of the Ministry of Justice, who represents the federal government before the Supreme Court when it is party to a legal dispute. After the Minister of Justice and his deputy ( Deputy Attorney General ), he held the third rank in the hierarchy of the Ministry of Justice.

On August 24, 1949, President Harry S. Truman appointed him to succeed Attorney General Tom C. Clark in his cabinet . After a corruption investigation within the Justice Department, he resigned on April 3, 1952 from his office.

In 1960 he ran unsuccessfully for election as the Democratic Senate candidate for Rhode Island.

Publications

• J. Howard McGrath: The Power of the People. Julian Messner, New York 1948.

His other speeches and correspondence are in the archive of the Truman Library .

Web links

• J. Howard McGrath in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• J. Howard McGrath in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• J. Howard McGrath in the National Governors Association (English)
• J. Howard McGrath in the Miller Center of Public Affairs of the University of Virginia (English)
• Biography on the homepage of the Ministry of Justice (English)
• Biographies and American legal system (English)
• "New Faces" , article in TIME magazine from November 20, 1950 (English)
• "TKE Corruption Issue: A Pandora's Box" , article in TIME magazine from September 24, 1956 (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ [1]