Paul A. Dever

Paul A. Dever (1939)

Paul Andrew Dever (born January 15, 1903 in Boston , Massachusetts , †  April 11, 1958 ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Massachusetts from 1949 to 1953 .

Early years and political advancement

Paul Dever attended the Oliver Wendell Holmes School in Dorchester , the Boston Latin School and then until 1926 Boston University , where he studied law. Then he started to work in his new profession in Boston. Politically, he became a member of the Democratic Party . From 1928 to 1934 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives . He was then Attorney General of his state between 1935 and 1941 . In 1940 he ran unsuccessfully for governor. Dever served in the US Navy during World War II .

Massachusetts Governor

After the war, Dever continued his political career. In 1946 he ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor , but two years later he was elected governor as his party's candidate against Republican incumbent Robert F. Bradford . After a re-election he was able to exercise this office between January 6, 1949 and January 8, 1953. During his reign, statutory compensation for victims of work accidents was increased. Educational institutions and charities received better financial support. Governor Dever also took part in the then widespread campaign against alleged communist activities in the United States .

In 1952, Dever applied unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination. That same year, his administration came under pressure when the Massachusetts Taxpayers Federation exposed an above-average increase in pensions for government officials and members of parliament. The governor called a special session of the legislature and together it was decided to withdraw the law in question. Nevertheless, Dever was defeated in the gubernatorial elections of 1952.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Dever withdrew from politics. He died in April 1958 and was buried in Boston. Paul Dever was a cousin of William Emmett Dever , who between 1923 and 1927 tried in vain as mayor of Chicago to put a stop to the activities of the gangsters, above all Al Capone .

Web links

• Paul Dever in the National Governors Association (English)
• Paul A. Dever in the database of Find a Grave (English)