John S. McGroarty

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John Steven McGroarty
John S. McGroarty in 1893
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 11th district
In office 1935 - 1939
Preceded by	William E. Evans
Succeeded by	John Carl Hinshaw
Born	1862 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania  United States
Died	1944 Los Angeles, California
Political party	Democratic
Profession	Politician, Journalist, Author, Poet

John Steven McGroarty (August 20, 1862–August 7, 1944) was a poet, Los Angeles Times columnist, and author, who also served two terms as a Democratic Congressman from California.

[edit] Biography

Born at Buck Mountain, in Foster Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (near Wilkes-Barre), McGroarty was the youngest of 12 children. He was educated at public schools and Harry Hillman Academy in Wilkes-Barre, and was employed as treasurer of Luzerne County from 1890–1893. He later studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1894 and commenced practice in Wilkes-Barre. McGroarty then moved to Montana and was employed in an executive position with the Anaconda Copper Mining Company at Butte and Anaconda from 1896–1901. Afterward he moved to Los Angeles, California in 1901 and engaged in journalism. McGroarty authored numerous books and dramas, one of his best-known works being The Mission Play (1911), a three-hour pageant describing the California Missions from their founding in 1769 through secularization in 1834, ending with their "final ruin" in 1847. The play opened on April 29, 1912. McGroarty also penned California: Its History and Romance in 1911 and Mission Memories in 1929.

McGroarty was designated poet laureate of California by the State legislature in 1933. He was elected to the 74th Congress (January 3, 1935–January 2, 1937) where played a large factor in introducing the Townsend Bill to the legislature; McGroarty was reelected to the 75th Congress (January 3, 1937–January 2, 1939), but was not selected as a candidate for renomination in 1938; he was also unsuccessful at securing the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State of California that same year. After his brief stint in politics, McGroarty resumed the profession of journalism in Tujunga, California. McGroarty died in St. Vincent's Hospital in Los Angeles, California on August 7, 1944 at the age of 81, and was interred at Calvary Cemetery.

McGroarty's home, built in 1923, survives in Tujunga and is a Historic Cultural Monument (#63) of the City of Los Angeles. A 501(c)3 non-profit called The Friends of McGroarty Arts Center, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, operates his home as a community arts center offering art, music and performing art instruction as well as cultural events.

[edit] Quotes

The San Gabriel Civic Auditorium, a classic example of "Mission Revival Style architecture," was built in 1927 as the "Mission Playhouse" specifically as a venue for McGroarty's production of The Mission Play, which chronicled the history of California. The structure was modeled after the Mission San Antonio de Padua in Monterey County.

• The plays could be made most touching and instructive at the same time, without connecting the Fathers in an unholy way with everlasting, silly femininity, as some would-be poets have done with no foundation in fact, but merely as a manifestation of their own unclean dreams, Godspeed to your work in that line. Father Zephyrin Engelhardt to John S. McGroarty regarding his work on The Mission Play, 1910.^[1]

• The story of Junipero Serra and the Missions for dramatic purposes has been lying around since 1933, at least, for anybody to grab. But no one grabbed it until I did so in 1912. Now it is mine. John McGroarty to Charles F. Lummis regarding The Mission Play, 1916.^[1]

• Both as Business and Art, it is intolerable to have in your beautiful pageant some of the frightful anachronisms now there. The Babbits don’t realize them; but every once in a great while someone will go to see the Mission Play who will know that Father Serra didn’t teach the California Indians to weave dam [sic] bad Navajo blankets! Charles F. Lummis to John McGroarty regarding The Mission Play, 1926.^[1]

[edit] Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Deverell, William. (2004). Whitewashed Adobe: The Rise of Los Angeles and the Remaking of Its Mexican Past. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA. ISBN 0520218698.

[edit] See also

• U.S. Congressional Delegations from California

[edit] External links

• John Steven McGroarty: A Biographical Sketch
• The Mission Play
• McGroarty Arts Center
• Bioguide (U.S. Congress)

• John S. McGroarty at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress