Patrick V. McNamara | |
|---|---|
 McNamara in 1963 | |
| United States Senator fromMichigan | |
| In office January 3, 1955 – April 30, 1966 | |
| Preceded by | Homer S. Ferguson |
| Succeeded by | Robert P. Griffin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Patrick Vincent McNamara (1894-10-04)October 4, 1894 |
| Died | April 30, 1966(1966-04-30) (aged 71) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
Patrick Vincent McNamara (October 4, 1894 – April 30, 1966) was an American politician. ADemocrat, he served as aUnited States senator fromMichigan from 1955 until his death from a stroke inBethesda, Maryland in 1966.
Patrick McNamara was born inNorth Weymouth,Massachusetts, to Patrick Vincent and Mary Jane (née Thynne) McNamara, who wereIrish immigrants.[1][failed verification] The oldest of eight children, he received his early education at public schools in his native town.[2] He attended the local high school for two and a half years before transferring to theFore River Apprentice School inQuincy, where he learned the trade ofpipe fitting.[3] In 1916, he began working as pipe fitter and foreman at theFore River Shipyard.[1] He then played semi-professionalfootball from 1919 to 1920.[2]
McNamara moved toDetroit,Michigan, where he worked as foreman of a construction crew for the Grinnell Company. He then married Kathleen Kennedy, with whom he had two children. Mary Jane (1922) and Patrick (1925). His wife, Kathleen, died of pneumonia on 8 March 1930 in Detroit. He married Mary Mattee on 3 Sept 1932 in Detroit. He then served as job superintendent for R.L. Spitzley Company (1922–1926) and general superintendent of H. Kelly Company (1926–1930).[1] From 1930 to 1932, he took extension courses at theUniversity of Michigan inAnn Arbor.[3] He was maintenance foreman at aChrysler plant (1931–1934) before joining the Donald Miller Company.[1] In 1937, he became president of Pipe Fitters Local 636, a position he held until 1955.[3] He also served as vice-president of the Detroit chapter of theAmerican Federation of Labor from 1939 to 1945.[2]
DuringWorld War II, he served as rent director of theOffice of Price Administration in Detroit from 1942 to 1945.[4] He then joined the Stanley-Carter Company, where he served as superintendent of construction, customer contact man, head of labor relations, and vice-president.[3]
In 1946, McNamara made his first venture into politics with a successful campaign for an unexpired term on theDetroit City Council.[4] He won twenty-one of the city's twenty-three wards, and served until 1947.[3] From 1949 to 1955, he was a member of theDetroit Board of Education.[4]
In1954, McNamara challenged former SenatorBlair Moody for theDemocratic nomination for a seat in theUnited States Senate.[1] He was given little chance of defeating Moody by most political analysts, but won the nomination after Moody died two weeks before the primary election.[2] He faced two-termRepublican incumbentHomer S. Ferguson in the general election, during which McNamara criticizedPresidentDwight D. Eisenhower's economic, labor, and farm policies.[2] In November, he narrowly defeated Ferguson by a margin of 51%-49%.[5]
McNamara was reelected overAlvin Morell Bentley in1960, serving from January 3, 1955, until his death inBethesda, Maryland. In the87th Congress, he became the first chairman of theSenate Special Committee on Aging. He also chaired theSenate Public Works Committee in the88th and89th Congresses. The 1959 committee hearings which Pat McNamara called on the subject of the health of the elderly began a public debate which led to the creation ofMedicare.
McNamara died of a stroke atBethesda Naval Hospital on April 30, 1966, aged 71, and was interred inMount Olivet Cemetery in Detroit.[6]
McNamara was a member ofAmericans for Democratic Action. ThePatrick V. McNamara Federal Building in Detroit was named for him.
McNamara donated his archival papers to theWalter P. Reuther Library, where they are open to the public for research. The bulk of materials relate to his time in the Senate and his work on the Public Works Committee (chairman, 1963–66), Labor and Public Welfare Committee, Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field, Select Subcommittee on Poverty, and the Special Committee on Aging. Subjects covered include problems of the aged, civil rights, atomic energy, education, taxes, public works, federal highway acts, and labor. Correspondents include all major political figures of the period and many labor leaders.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromMichigan (Class 2) 1954,1960 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 2) from Michigan 1955–1966 Served alongside:Charles E. Potter,Philip Hart | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman ofSenate Public Works Committee 1962–1966 | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 | ||
| Public Buildings (1838–1857) | | |
|---|---|---|
| Public Buildings and Grounds (1857–1947) | ||
| Public Works (1947–1977) | ||
| Environment and Public Works (1977–present) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
