Maurice Connolly
Encyclopedia
Maurice Connolly was elected in 1912 to a single term as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 3rd congressional district
. After giving up his House seat in an unsuccessful bid for election to the U.S. Senate in 1914, Connolly then served as an aviation officer in World War I
and died in a plane crash in 1921.
on March 13, 1877, as the son of a successful carriage maker, Tom Connolly, and his wife Ellen Brown Connolly. Connolly attended the common schools. He was graduated from Cornell University
, Ithaca, New York
, in 1897, where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger
society. In 1898, at age twenty-one, he graduated from the New York University School of Law
, in New York City
. He was admitted to the bar in 1899 and did postgraduate work at Balliol College, Oxford, England, and the University of Heidelberg, Germany
. He returned to Dubuque when his father died suddenly in 1903, and assumed his ownership and management of the Connolly Carriage Company. Later, Connolly engaged in the insurance business and banking.
. Connolly's hometown of Dubuque was a Democratic-leaning city at the edge of Iowa's strongly-Republican 3rd congressional district
, which in Connolly's lifetime had elected only Republicans
. Indeed, in every election since 1890, Republicans captured either all or all but one of Iowa's eleven seats in the U.S. House, while holding each seat in the Senate. When Iowa Republicans were divided between Theodore Roosevelt's
Bull Moose Party candidacy and Republican Party nominee William Howard Taft
, Connolly tied himself closely to Democratic presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson
. Along with incumbent Democrat Irvin S. Pepper
in Iowa's 2nd congressional district
and Democrat Sanford Kirkpatrick
in Iowa's 6th congressional district
, Connolly was elected in 1912 to the Sixty-third Congress.
in 1913, the U.S. Constitution had authorized only state legislatures to choose senators. In 1913, 37-year-old Congressman Pepper was the presumptive favorite to win the Democratic nomination for Senate, to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Albert B. Cummins
, but Pepper died unexpectedly in December 1913. Connolly ran in the Democratic primary for the nomination. He defeated Edward Meredith in the primary, but was defeated by Senator Cummins in the general election.
Connolly was replaced in the House by Republican Burton E. Sweet
, who had defeated Democrat J.C. Murtagh. In all, Connolly served in Congress from March 4, 1913 to March 3, 1915.
. President Wilson appointed him as postmaster of Dubuque.
After the United States entered World War I, Connolly enlisted, earning his flight wings and serving as captain, then major, in the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
. He served as adjutant, executive officer and commanding officer at Chanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois
, Wilbur Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio
, and Hazelhurst Field in Mineola, New York
. When the armistice
was declared, he was assigned to Washington, where he assisted Major General William L. Kenly
, first head of the United States Army Air Service
. Connolly also flew in one of the "flying circuses" of fliers performing to raise funds for the Liberty Loan program.
Connolly and future New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia were the only former congressmen to earn their wings in World War I.
. He was killed in an airplane accident near Indian Head, Maryland
on May 28, 1921. He was one of two civilian passengers killed along with five air corps officers, including Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Col. Archie Miller
, when their army Curtiss Eagle converted air ambulance crashed during a wind and electrical storm when returning to Washington D.C. At the time, it was considered the worst aviation accident in U.S. history.
He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Key West, Iowa.
Iowa's 3rd congressional district
Iowa's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that currently covers an area from Des Moines to the western outskirts of the Cedar Falls-Waterloo Metropolitan Area to the western outskirts of the Cedar Rapids area and to Lucas and Monroe counties .The...
. After giving up his House seat in an unsuccessful bid for election to the U.S. Senate in 1914, Connolly then served as an aviation officer in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and died in a plane crash in 1921.
Background
He was born in Dubuque, IowaDubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
on March 13, 1877, as the son of a successful carriage maker, Tom Connolly, and his wife Ellen Brown Connolly. Connolly attended the common schools. He was graduated from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, in 1897, where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
society. In 1898, at age twenty-one, he graduated from the New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was admitted to the bar in 1899 and did postgraduate work at Balliol College, Oxford, England, and the University of Heidelberg, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He returned to Dubuque when his father died suddenly in 1903, and assumed his ownership and management of the Connolly Carriage Company. Later, Connolly engaged in the insurance business and banking.
Congress
Connolly ran as a Democrat for Congress in 1912, against incumbent Republican Charles E. PickettCharles E. Pickett
Charles Edgar Pickett was a two-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district.-Early years:...
. Connolly's hometown of Dubuque was a Democratic-leaning city at the edge of Iowa's strongly-Republican 3rd congressional district
Iowa's 3rd congressional district
Iowa's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that currently covers an area from Des Moines to the western outskirts of the Cedar Falls-Waterloo Metropolitan Area to the western outskirts of the Cedar Rapids area and to Lucas and Monroe counties .The...
, which in Connolly's lifetime had elected only Republicans
United States Congressional Delegations from Iowa
These are tables of congressional delegations from Iowa to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.-United States Senate:...
. Indeed, in every election since 1890, Republicans captured either all or all but one of Iowa's eleven seats in the U.S. House, while holding each seat in the Senate. When Iowa Republicans were divided between Theodore Roosevelt's
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
Bull Moose Party candidacy and Republican Party nominee William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, Connolly tied himself closely to Democratic presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
. Along with incumbent Democrat Irvin S. Pepper
Irvin S. Pepper
Irvin St. Clair Pepper was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Iowa's 2nd congressional district. Pepper died at age 37, in the middle of his second term in Congress....
in Iowa's 2nd congressional district
Iowa's 2nd congressional district
Iowa's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that generally covers most of the southeastern part of the state including Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.The district is currently represented by Democrat Dave Loebsack....
and Democrat Sanford Kirkpatrick
Sanford Kirkpatrick
Sanford "Sant" Kirkpatrick was a revenue agent and a one-term Democratic U.S. Representative from Iowa's 6th congressional district. He was the last Civil War veteran elected to represent Iowa in Congress...
in Iowa's 6th congressional district
Iowa's 6th congressional district
Iowa's 6th congressional district is a former congressional district in Iowa. It existed from 1862 to 1992, when it was lost due to Iowa's declining population....
, Connolly was elected in 1912 to the Sixty-third Congress.
Senate candidacy
In 1914 Iowans had their first opportunity to directly elect a U.S. Senator; until the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionSeventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote. The amendment supersedes Article I, § 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures...
in 1913, the U.S. Constitution had authorized only state legislatures to choose senators. In 1913, 37-year-old Congressman Pepper was the presumptive favorite to win the Democratic nomination for Senate, to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Albert B. Cummins
Albert B. Cummins
Albert Baird Cummins was the 18th Governor of Iowa, U.S. Senator and two-time presidential candidate. Cummins was perhaps the most influential leader in Iowa politics in the first quarter of the 20th century...
, but Pepper died unexpectedly in December 1913. Connolly ran in the Democratic primary for the nomination. He defeated Edward Meredith in the primary, but was defeated by Senator Cummins in the general election.
Connolly was replaced in the House by Republican Burton E. Sweet
Burton E. Sweet
Burton Erwin Sweet was a four-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district, then a wide but short chain of counties in north-central and northeastern Iowa, in the shape of a monkey wrench....
, who had defeated Democrat J.C. Murtagh. In all, Connolly served in Congress from March 4, 1913 to March 3, 1915.
Military service
After leaving Congress, Connolly returned to Dubuque to run his family's carriage company. He also became an executive of Dubuque Fire and Insurance Company. Connolly was an at-large delegate to the 1916 Democratic National Convention1916 Democratic National Convention
The 1916 Democratic National Convention was held at the St. Louis Coliseum in St. Louis, Missouri from June 14 - June 16, 1916. It resulted in the nomination of President Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey for President and Thomas R...
. President Wilson appointed him as postmaster of Dubuque.
After the United States entered World War I, Connolly enlisted, earning his flight wings and serving as captain, then major, in the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
The Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was the military aviation service of the United States Army from 1914 to 1918, and a direct ancestor of the United States Air Force. It replaced and absorbed the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps, and was succeeded briefly by the Division of Military...
. He served as adjutant, executive officer and commanding officer at Chanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois
Rantoul, Illinois
Rantoul is a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,674 at the 2010 census. The present mayor is Neal Williams, who was re-elected in 2009...
, Wilbur Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, and Hazelhurst Field in Mineola, New York
Mineola, New York
Mineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a Native American word meaning a "pleasant place"....
. When the armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
was declared, he was assigned to Washington, where he assisted Major General William L. Kenly
William L. Kenly
William Lacy Kenly was a Major General in the United States Army. During World War I, he was a leader of a progenitor of the United States Air Force, the United States Army Air Service...
, first head of the United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
. Connolly also flew in one of the "flying circuses" of fliers performing to raise funds for the Liberty Loan program.
Connolly and future New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia were the only former congressmen to earn their wings in World War I.
Death
Following the war, Connolly became the Washington representative for the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor CompanyCurtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the company was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States...
. He was killed in an airplane accident near Indian Head, Maryland
Indian Head, Maryland
Indian Head is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census. It has been the site of a naval base specializing in gun and rocket propellants since 1890. Production of nitrocellulose and smokeless powder began at the Indian Head Powder Factory in 1900...
on May 28, 1921. He was one of two civilian passengers killed along with five air corps officers, including Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Col. Archie Miller
Archie Miller
Archie Miller was a United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Philippine–American War July 2, 1909. Lieutenant Miller defended a machine gun from capture by the enemy. He later rose to Lieutenant Colonel....
, when their army Curtiss Eagle converted air ambulance crashed during a wind and electrical storm when returning to Washington D.C. At the time, it was considered the worst aviation accident in U.S. history.
He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Key West, Iowa.