William A. Purtell: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 27: | Line 27: | ||
==U.S. Senate== |
==U.S. Senate== |
||
In May 1952, Purtell won the Republican nomination to challenge [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] incumbent [[William Benton (senator)|William Benton]] for a seat in the [[United States Senate]].<ref name=yearbook/> However, when Connecticut's other Senator, [[Brien McMahon]], died in July of that year, Governor Lodge appointed Purtell to the Senate to fill the remainder of McMahon's term.<ref name=congress/> Thus, Purtell was in the unusual position of filling one Senate seat while running for another. During his campaign against Benton, |
In May 1952, Purtell won the Republican nomination to challenge [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] incumbent [[William Benton (senator)|William Benton]] for a seat in the [[United States Senate]].<ref name=yearbook/> However, when Connecticut's other Senator, [[Brien McMahon]], died in July of that year, Governor Lodge appointed Purtell to the Senate to fill the remainder of McMahon's term.<ref name=congress/> Thus, Purtell was in the unusual position of filling one Senate seat while running for another. [[Prescott Bush]], the father of [[George H. W. Bush]] (41st [[President of the United States]]) and the grandfather of [[George W. Bush]] (43rd President of the United States), was later elected to McMahon's seat. During his campaign against Benton, Purtell supported General Eisenhower's campaign platform on "[[K1c2 formula|Communism, corruption, and Korea]]."<ref name=yearbook/> He eventually defeated Benton by a margin of 88,788 votes, receiving 52% of the vote.<ref name=results>{{cite news|work=[[Clerk of the United States House of Representatives]]|title=Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1952|url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1952election.pdf}}</ref> |
||
Purtell served in the Senate until January 3, 1959. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1958. Prior and subsequent to serving in the Senate Purtell was a businessman, working as president of Holo-Krome Screw Corporation and director of several Hartford corporations<ref>{{cite news |
Purtell served in the Senate until January 3, 1959. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1958. Prior and subsequent to serving in the Senate Purtell was a businessman, working as president of Holo-Krome Screw Corporation and director of several Hartford corporations<ref>{{cite news |
||
Revision as of 19:24, 30 December 2011
Willam Arthur Purtell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator from Connecticut | |
| In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1959 | |
| Preceded by | William Benton |
| Succeeded by | Thomas J. Dodd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 6, 1897 Hartford, Connecticut |
| Died | May 31, 1978 (aged 81) West Hartford, Connecticut |
| Political party | Republican |
William Arthur Purtell (May 6, 1897 – May 31, 1978) was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Connecticut in the United States Senate in 1952 and from 1953 to 1959.
Biography
William Purtell was born in a tenement neighborhood of Hartford, Connecticut.[1] He was the son of Thomas Michael and Nora Mary (née O'Connor) Purtell, who were tobacco workers.[2] He received his early education at St. Patrick's School, and attended Hartford Public High School for two years before dropping out at age 15.[2] He then worked as a janitor, water boy, and car checker for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.[1]
During World War I, he served with the radio section of the U.S. Army Expeditionary Force in France, being discharged as a corporal in 1919.[3] That same year, he married Katherine Elizabeth Cassidy; the couple had a son, William, and a daughter, Margaret.[2]
Business career
After working as a salesman from ten years, Purtell co-founded the Holo-Krome Screw Corporation of West Hartford in 1929 and served as its president, treasurer, and general manager until 1952.[3] He also served as president, treasurer, and general manager (1937-1944) and later chairman (1944-1947) of the Billings & Spencer Company of Hartford.[4] From 1938 to 1952, he served as vice-president, treasurer, and general manager of the Sparmal Engineering Corporation.[4] He was also director of the Hartford Red Cross and one of the executive directors of the Connecticut State Prison.[2]
Purtell unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for Governor of Connecticut in 1950, losing to Congressman John Davis Lodge.[1] He was one of the first political leaders in Connecticut to support General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 presidential election.[4]
U.S. Senate
In May 1952, Purtell won the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic incumbent William Benton for a seat in the United States Senate.[4] However, when Connecticut's other Senator, Brien McMahon, died in July of that year, Governor Lodge appointed Purtell to the Senate to fill the remainder of McMahon's term.[3] Thus, Purtell was in the unusual position of filling one Senate seat while running for another. Prescott Bush, the father of George H. W. Bush (41st President of the United States) and the grandfather of George W. Bush (43rd President of the United States), was later elected to McMahon's seat. During his campaign against Benton, Purtell supported General Eisenhower's campaign platform on "Communism, corruption, and Korea."[4] He eventually defeated Benton by a margin of 88,788 votes, receiving 52% of the vote.[5]
Purtell served in the Senate until January 3, 1959. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1958. Prior and subsequent to serving in the Senate Purtell was a businessman, working as president of Holo-Krome Screw Corporation and director of several Hartford corporations[6]
References
- ^ a b c "William Purtell, 81; Served in the Senate from 1952 to 1959". The New York Times. 1978-06-01.
- ^ a b c d Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, MI: Walter Romig.
- ^ a b c "PURTELL, William Arthur, (1897 - 1978)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ a b c d e Current Biography Yearbook. H.W. Wilson Company. 1952.
- ^ "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1952" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
- ^ "W. A. Purtell To Address Civic Group". The Hartford Courant. 1945-10-28.
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
 | This article about a Connecticut politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |