Francis Myers | |
|---|---|
 Myersc. 1949 | |
| Senate Majority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951 | |
| Leader | Scott W. Lucas |
| Preceded by | Kenneth S. Wherry |
| Succeeded by | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| United States Senator fromPennsylvania | |
| In office January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1951 | |
| Preceded by | James J. Davis |
| Succeeded by | James H. Duff |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's6th district | |
| In office January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Michael J. Stack |
| Succeeded by | Herbert J. McGlinchey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Francis John Myers (1901-12-18)December 18, 1901 |
| Died | July 5, 1956(1956-07-05) (aged 54) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Saint Joseph's University (BA) Temple University (LLB) |
Francis John Myers (December 18, 1901 – July 5, 1956) was an American teacher, lawyer, andDemocratic Party politician. He represented most ofWest Philadelphia andSouthwest Philadelphia in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1939 to 1945 and representedPennsylvania in theUnited States Senate for one term from 1945 to 1951. He wasSenate Majority Whip from 1949 to 1951.
Francis Myers was born inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, to John Francis and Mary (née Donnelly) Myers, who were the children ofIrish immigrants.[1] His father was apost office employee in Philadelphia for forty years, holding the position of chief auditor upon his retirement.[1] He received his early education at George L. Brooks Elementary School inWest Philadelphia, and graduated fromSt. Joseph's Preparatory School in 1919.[1] He then attendedSt. Joseph's University, where he received aBachelor of Arts degree in 1923.[2] During college, he was a member of thebaseball,football, anddebating teams.[1]
From 1923 to 1927, Myers served as an instructor in Latin, English, and ancient history at St. Joseph's Preparatory School.[3] In addition to his teaching duties, he studied law in the evenings atTemple University Law School.[3] He was admitted to the bar in 1927, and then entered private practice.[2] From 1929 to 1931, he worked as a secretary with the Philadelphia law firm of Monaghan and Phillips.[2] The head of the firm,John Monaghan, was also thedistrict attorney of the city.[1]
Myers was an attorney for theHome Owners' Loan Corporation from 1934 to 1935.[2] He became active inDemocratic politics, and was a member of the successful campaign ofGeorge Earle forGovernor of Pennsylvania.[3] In 1937, he was appointed deputyattorney general of Pennsylvania, serving in that position for only a year.[1]
In 1938, Myers was elected to theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 6th congressional district.[2] He defeated incumbentMichael Stack, who largely opposed theNew Deal, in the Democratic primary.[1] He received just below 50% of the vote in the general election, defeatingRepublican J. Howard Berry and Congressman Stack, who ran on theRoyal Oak ticket.[4] He was re-elected over Republican city solicitorFrank Truscott in 1940, winning by a margin of 61%-38%. In 1942, he won a third term after defeating Republican businessman William Sylk by a ten percentage point margin.
In 1944, Myers was elected to theU.S. Senate after narrowly defeating Republican incumbentJames Davis by 50%-49%. He was the first Catholic to serve as Senator from Pennsylvania.[5] At the1948 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Myers served as chairman of the platform committee; in that position, he helped draft a party platform that strongly supportedcivil rights.[6] He wasSenate Majority Whip from 1949 to 1951, serving under Majority LeaderScott Lucas.[2]
He lost his bid for a second term in 1950, losing to GovernorJim Duff by 51%-48%. His defeat came after being linked to PresidentHarry S. Truman's unpopular administration.[7]
Following his Senate career, Myers resumed the practice of law. He also served as chairman of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, and as a member of the General State Authority and the Greater Philadelphia Movement.[2]
Myers died ofleukemia atGraduate Hospital in 1956, at age 55.[3] He is buried inHoly Sepulchre Cemetery inCheltenham Township, Pennsylvania.[8]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 6th congressional district 1939–1945 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromPennsylvania (Class 3) 1944,1950 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Senate Democratic Whip 1949–1951 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania 1945–1951 Served alongside:Joe Guffey,Ed Martin | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| Notes | † Never officially seated | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
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