Edward Joseph Flynn (September 22, 1891 – August 18, 1953) was an American lawyer and politician. Flynn was a leading Democratic politician of the mid-twentieth-century, known for his tight control ofthe Bronx Democratic Party organization after 1922, and his close association with PresidentsFranklin D. Roosevelt andHarry S. Truman.

Flynn was the youngest son of Henry T. Flynn and Sarah Mallon Flynn. He was born on September 22, 1891, inthe Bronx, thenNew York County, nowBronx County, New York City. He graduated fromFordham Law School in 1912, was admitted to the bar in June 1913, and practiced in the Bronx. On June 15, 1927, he married Helen Margaret Jones.

He entered politics as aDemocrat; and was a member of theNew York State Assembly (Bronx Co., 2nd D.) in1918,1919,1920 and1921.

He wassheriff of Bronx County, New York, (1922–1925), chamberlain of the City of New York (1926–1928), chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bronx County Democratic Committee (1922–1953),secretary of state of New York state (1929–1939), Democratic national committeeman from New York (1930–1953), and chairman of the Democratic National Committee (1940–1943). He was also the United States commissioner general on theNew York World's Fair Commission (1939–1940).

He was a close associate of PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt for many years. Along with James Farley he was the president's chief advisor of patronage. He helped Roosevelt through all of his elections, but repeatedly refused offers of jobs in the Roosevelt administration. He did accompany Roosevelt to theYalta Conference remaining in Europe afterwards to carry out various missions for the president. His mission was to open a diplomatic relationship between the Kremlin and the Papacy. The President believed that peace could only be obtained in Eastern Europe if there was large Catholic presence. After his mission, Flynn traveled to England to meet with Prime Minister Winston Churchill. His work in England was cut short by Roosevelt's death; this death marked the end of Flynn's mission in Europe. In 1947, Flynn publishedYou're the Boss, a memoir of his experiences in politics.

Flynn was one of the key figures in electingHarry S. Truman to each term of his presidency. His support in 1944 was crucial to Truman's selection overJames F. Byrnes as the vice presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, and thus Truman subsequently becoming president upon Roosevelt's death. Flynn warned that placing Byrnes on the ticket would cost Roosevelt two hundred thousand black votesin New York State alone.^[1] He was also one of the driving forces behind Truman's1948 election victory.^[2]

Flynn died on August 18, 1953, inDublin while on a visit toIreland. His papers were given by his family to theFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, to be made available for the general public.

The phrase "in like Flynn" has sometimes been claimed to be a reference to Flynn, though itsfolk etymology more frequently associates it with actorErrol Flynn. EtymologistEric Partridge presents evidence that candidates Flynn backed were almost automatically "in", citing usage during Flynn's life that refers to him.^[3]

His son Richard Flynn became chairman of thePower Authority underMario Cuomo.

• Flynn, Edward J.You're the boss (1947); autobiography.online
• MacKay, Malcolm. In With Flynn, The Boss Behind the President (2020), popular biography.excerpt

• Biography at theFDR Library
• Short biographical entry fromThe Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition, at Encyclopedia.com (giving wrong birth year), also available fromBartleby.com
• "Milestones, Aug. 31, 1953".Time. August 31, 1953. (obituary)
• Newspaper clippings about Edward J. Flynn in the20th Century Press Archives of theZBW (German National Library of Economics)