Thomas O'Malley (congressman)

This article is about the 1930s Wisconsin congressman. For his father, the 26th lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, see Thomas J. O'Malley. For others with a similar name, see Thomas O'Malley.

Thomas O'Malley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 5th district
In office
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939
Preceded byWilliam H. Stafford
Succeeded byLewis D. Thill
Personal details
Born(1903-03-24)March 24, 1903
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedDecember 19, 1979(1979-12-19) (aged 76)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Cause of deathBlood clot
Resting placeSaint Margarets Cemetery, Neenah, Wisconsin
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Gerda Henrietta Trumpy
​
​
(m. 1933⁠–⁠1979)​
Children
Parent

Thomas David Patrick O'Malley Sr. (March 24, 1903 – December 19, 1979) was an American Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served three terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 5th congressional district from 1933 through 1939, and was later an appointee in the United States Department of Labor. His father, Thomas J. O'Malley, was the 26th lieutenant governor of Wisconsin.

Biography

Thomas O'Malley was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on March 24, 1903. He was raised and educated in Milwaukee, before attending Loyola University Chicago and the Y.M.C.A. College of Liberal Arts in Chicago. At an early age he became engaged in politics with the Democratic Party, due to his father's political activity.

He first sought elected office in 1928, running for United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin's 5th congressional district. He prevailed in the Democratic primary, but came in a distant third in the general election, behind the Socialist incumbent, Victor L. Berger, and the Republican victor, William H. Stafford.[1] He made another attempt in 1930, but lost again to the Republican Stafford.[2]

Two years later, O'Malley was elected as a delegate to the 1932 Democratic National Convention. He was one of only two delegates from Wisconsin who refused to vote for Franklin D. Roosevelt, remaining loyal to Al Smith. At the Fall general election, O'Malley ran again for Congress, and this time prevailed in the Democratic wave election, and went on to serve in the 73rd United States Congress.[3]

O'Malley faced a bitter primary race running for re-election in 1934, but managed to prevail against four Democratic challengers. He went on to win his second term with just 34% of the vote, with the Wisconsin Progressive Party emerging as a fourth major party in the district.[4] He faced multiple challengers in both 1936 and 1938, surviving again in 1936, but losing in 1938.[5][6]

O'Malley's most noteworthy contribution during his six years in Congress was likely the Johnson–O'Malley Act, to subsidize education, medical facilities, and other services for the Native American population. It passed in 1934.[7]

After leaving Congress, he was appointed regional director for the Wages and Hours division of the United States Department of Labor. His region comprised Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, and he ultimately served in this role for another 18 years, retiring in 1956. During those years, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he resided for much of the rest of his life.[8]

He died on December 19, 1979, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after suffering a blood clot.[8]

Electoral history

U.S. House of Representatives (1928–1938)

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1928 General[1] Nov. 6 William H. Stafford Republican 41,265 38.92% Victor L. Berger (inc) Soc. 40,536 38.24% 106,013 729
Thomas O'Malley Dem. 24,037 22.67%
Herbert Friedrichs Com. 169 0.16%
1930 General[2] Nov. 4 William H. Stafford (inc) Republican 27,533 42.15% James P. Sheehan Soc. 26,357 40.35% 65,322 1,176
Thomas O'Malley Dem. 10,947 16.76%
Raymond Hansborogh Com. 469 0.72%
1932 General[3] Nov. 8 Thomas O'Malley Democratic 57,294 43.77% Joseph A. Padway Rep. 32,559 24.87% 130,911 24,735
Herman O. Kent Soc. 30,534 23.32%
Kavanaugh C. Downey Ind.R. 6,503 4.97%
Emil B. Gennrich Ind.R. 3,633 2.77%
Emil Gardos Ind. 388 0.30%
1934 Primary[4] Sep. 18 Thomas O'Malley (inc) Democratic 12,748 43.32% William J. McCauley Dem. 7,370 25.05% 29,425 5,378
James J. Kerwin Dem. 4,157 14.13%
Albert L. Bell Dem. 2,597 8.83%
Edmund L. Roncke Dem. 2,553 8.68%
General[4] Nov. 6 Thomas O'Malley (inc) Democratic 32,931 34.67% Otto Hauser Soc. 23,334 24.57% 94,987 9,597
Arthur T. Spence Rep. 21,533 22.67%
Carl J. Ludwig Prog. 16,693 17.57%
Fred Basset Blair Com. 496 0.52%
1936 Primary[5] Sep. 15 Thomas O'Malley (inc) Democratic 12,467 55.62% Carl R. Becker Dem. 5,976 26.66% 22,416 6,491
Edward J. Malloy Dem. 2,556 11.40%
Peter J. Zisch Dem. 1,417 6.32%
General[5] Nov. 3 Thomas O'Malley (inc) Democratic 60,716 41.50% Carl P. Dietz Prog. 50,466 34.49% 146,303 10,250
Arthur T. Spence Rep. 35,121 24.01%
1938 Primary[6] Sep. 15 Thomas O'Malley (inc) Democratic 10,135 52.05% Francis T. Murphy Dem. 6,563 33.71% 19,470 3,572
James O'Connor Dem. 2,772 14.24%
General[6] Nov. 8 Lewis D. Thill Republican 47,032 43.13% Thomas O'Malley (inc) Dem. 31,154 28.57% 109,041 15,878
Alfred Benson Prog. 29,874 27.40%
Henry W. Otto Union 981 0.90%

References

  1. ^ a b Anderson, William J.; Anderson, William A., eds. (1929). "Election Statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1929 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. p. 823. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Witte, Edwin E.; Kelly, Alice, eds. (1931). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1931 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. p. 564. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Witte, Edwin E.; Kelly, Alice, eds. (1931). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1933 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. p. 512. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G., eds. (1935). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1935 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 550, 620. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G., eds. (1937). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1937 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 353, 426. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G., eds. (1940). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1940 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 543, 613. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  7. ^ "Services". www.cherokee.org.
  8. ^ a b "Former congressman Thomas O'Malley dies". The Capital Times. December 20, 1979. p. 43. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 5th congressional district
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939 		Succeeded by