Joseph Andrew Gavagan | |
|---|---|
 Gavagan in 1939 | |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly from the New York County, 22nd district | |
| In office 1923–1929 | |
| Preceded by | Michael E. Reiburn |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin B. Mittler |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's21st district | |
| In office November 5, 1929 – December 30, 1943 | |
| Preceded by | Royal H. Weller |
| Succeeded by | James H. Torrens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1892-08-20)August 20, 1892 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 18, 1968(1968-10-18) (aged 76) Putnam Memorial Hospital,Bennington, Vermont, U.S. |
| Resting place | Gate of Heaven Cemetery |
| Party | Democratic |
Joseph Andrew Gavagan (August 20, 1892 – October 18, 1968) was an American politician, lawyer andWorld War I veteran who served seven terms as aUnited States representative fromNew York from 1929 to 1943.
Born in New York City on August 20, 1892, he attended the public and parochial schools and graduated from the law department ofFordham University in 1920.[1]
DuringWorld War I, he enlisted as a private and later was promoted to second lieutenant in theQuartermaster Corps and served from August 20, 1917, to October 13, 1919.[2] He served at:Fort Totten,New York;Camp Alfred Vail,New Jersey; andCamp Gordon Johnston,Florida.[2] He was a first lieutenant in the Quartermaster Reserve Corps from 1920 to 1925.
Gavagan was admitted to the bar in 1920, and practiced law in New York City.[1] ADemocrat, he was a member of theNew York State Assembly (New York Co., 22nd D.) in1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928 and1929.[1]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(March 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Gavagan was elected to the71st United States Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death ofRoyal H. Weller; he was re-elected to the72nd and to the six succeeding Congresses and held office from November 5, 1929, to December 30, 1943, when he resigned. While in the House of Representatives, he was chairman of the Committee on Elections No. 2 (Seventy-second through Seventy-sixth Congresses) and Committee on War Claims (Seventy-seventh and Seventy-eighth Congresses).[3]
Gavagan tried for years to pass an anti-lynching law; having grown up in New York'sHell's Kitchen, he saw discrimination against the Irish,African Americans, and other ethnic and racial minorities. Gavagan's argument for equal and fair treatment was that lynching meant mob rule, and mob rule meant that the rule of law was not respected. In 1937a bill passed theHouse of Representatives but wasblocked in the Senate bySouthern Senators.
Gavagan resigned from Congress after winning an election as a justice of theNew York Supreme Court; he was re-elected in 1957, and was scheduled to retire on December 31, 1968.[1]
He maintained a summer house inManchester, Vermont, and died at Putnam Memorial Hospital inBennington, Vermont on October 18, 1968.[1] He was interred atGate of Heaven Cemetery inHawthorne, New York.[1]
In November 1933, Gavagan married Dorothy Whitehead, who had been his secretary in his Washington Congressional office.[1] They were the parents of a son, Joseph Jr., and a daughter, Joan, who was the wife of Thomas G. Gorman.[1][4]
| New York State Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | New York State Assembly New York County, 22nd District 1923–1929 | Succeeded by Ben Mittler |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 21st congressional district 1929–1943 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
