Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr.

Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr.
39th Mayor of Baltimore
In office
May 16, 1947 – May 16, 1959
Preceded by Theodore R. McKeldin
Succeeded by J. Harold Grady
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 1939 – May 16, 1947
Preceded by Vincent L. Palmisano
Succeeded by Edward Garmatz
Member of the Baltimore City Council
In office
1935–1938
Personal details
Born Thomas Ludwig John D'Alesandro, Jr.
(1903-08-01)August 1, 1903
Baltimore, Maryland
Died August 23, 1987(1987-08-23) (aged 84)
Baltimore, Maryland
Political party Democratic
Profession Legislator, politician
Religion Roman Catholic

Thomas Ludwig John D'Alesandro, Jr. (August 1, 1903 – August 23, 1987) was an American politician who was a U.S. Representative from Maryland's 3rd congressional district (1939–47) and subsequently the mayor of Baltimore, Maryland (1947–59). He was the father of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Biography

D'Alesandro was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Maria Petronilla (née Foppiani) and Tommaso G. D'Alesandro, who were born in Montenerodomo, Abruzzo, Italy. He was married to Annunciata M. ("Nancy") Lombardi[1] (March 25, 1909 - April 3, 1995).[2] The couple had six children: five sons and a daughter. D'Alesandro attended Calvert Business College in Baltimore. Before beginning his political career, he worked as a broker and in insurance, a career he returned to after his political service.

A Democrat, D'Alesandro served as a member of the Maryland State House of Delegates from 1926 to 1933. After serving in Annapolis, D'Alesandro was then appointed as General Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, a post in which he served during 1933–1934. He then was elected to serve on the Baltimore City Council from 1935 to 1938.

D'Alesandro was then elected to the 76th Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1939, until he resigned on May 16, 1947. While in Congress, D'Alesandro strongly supported the Bergson Group, a "political action committee set up to that challenged the Roosevelt Administration's policies on the Jewish refugee issue during the Holocaust, and later lobbied against British control of Palestine" despite his equally strong support for Roosevelt's other policies.[3] Following his service in Congress he was Mayor of Baltimore for 12 years from May 1947 to May 1959. He was defeated for renomination by the Democrats in the March 1959 primary election. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1958.

D'Alesandro ran for Governor of Maryland in 1954, but was forced to drop out due to being implicated in receiving undeclared money from Dominic Piracci, a parking garage owner convicted of fraud, conspiracy, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.[4]

D'Alesandro was a delegate to every Democratic National Convention from 1944 to 1968 and also served on the Federal Renegotiation Board from 1961 to 1969 before retiring from political life.

D'Alesandro lived in Baltimore until his death there in 1987. He was buried at New Cathedral Cemetery, Baltimore.

Legacy

See also

References

  1. ↑ Baltimore Sun, 1 October 1928, p. 20.
  2. ↑ Ancestry of Nancy Pelosi
  3. ↑ Medoff, Rafael, "Pelosi's father and the Holocaust." Jerusalem Post. 11 April 2007. 16 April 2007.
  4. ↑ "The Little World of Tommy" Time. 26 April 1954.

External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Vincent L. Palmisano		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 3rd congressional district
1939–1947 		Succeeded by
Edward Garmatz
Political offices
Preceded by
Theodore R. McKeldin		 Mayor of Baltimore
1947–1959 		Succeeded by
J. Harold Grady
Party political offices
Preceded by
George P. Mahoney		 Democratic nominee for United States Senator from Maryland
(Class 1)
1958 		Succeeded by
Joseph Tydings
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, February 07, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.