Robert E. Sweeney
Encyclopedia
Robert E. Sweeney was a U.S. Representative
from Ohio
and a son of another former Representative, Martin L. Sweeney
.
and graduated from that city's St. Ignatius High School.
He attended Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C.
; Baldwin-Wallace College
in Berea, Ohio
; and Cleveland-Marshall Law School in Cleveland, where he studied law despite the discouragement of his father.
Sweeney joined the Army
during World War II
and served from 1943 until 1946.
In 1951, Sweeney was admitted to the bar
and began practicing law in Cleveland, Ohio. During his early law career, he served as the assistant director of law for Cleveland from 1951 until 1954. He later served as a special to the Attorney General
of Ohio from 1958 until 1962.
His second cousin Dr. Francis Sweeney {d.1964} was a suspect in the Cleveland Torso Murderer
of 1934-1938
nominee for Attorney General of Ohio in 1962 but was defeated in the general election that November.
Sweeney was elected as a Democrat in 1964 to an at-large
seat to the United States House of Representatives
. He served just one term, the Eighty-ninth
Congress, January 3, 1965-January 3, 1967.
After Ohio switched to electing members of Congress by districts beginning in 1966, Sweeney decided to forgo a re-election bid and sought the Attorney General's office an additional time. As in 1962, he won the Democratic nomination but fell short in November. He then resumed the practice of law.
Sweeney was appointed in 1976 to an unexpired term on the Cuyahoga County Commission. He was subsequently elected to a full term in 1977. In 1980, he lost his seat on the commission after losing his bid for re-election.
During his tenure as a county commissioner, he was a supporter of regional government, helped establish Cuyahoga's public defender's office and the solid-waste district. He also was a primary advocate for the renovation of the Playhouse Square Center
.
Sweeney was instrumental in the placement of the so-called "Irish plank" into the Democratic platform at the 1992 Democratic National Convention
.
Sweeney's health sharply declined after suffering a major heart attack in 1999.
Sweeney died at the age of 82 on June 30, 2007 at his home in Gates Mills, Ohio
, a Cleveland suburb, after suffering from a variety of ailments. He was survived by his wife, Kathryn; 13 children, Robert, Daniel, William, John, James, Edward, Martin, Thomas, Catherine, Patrica Ann, Mary Brigid, Alice, Eileen ; two stepchildren,37 grandchildren, and 3 great-grand children.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and a son of another former Representative, Martin L. Sweeney
Martin L. Sweeney
Martin Leonard Sweeney was a U.S. Representative from Ohio and the father of Robert E. Sweeney.Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Sweeney attended parochial and public schools in the area. Prior to his political career Sweeney worked as a laborer, hoisting engineer and a salesman from 1901-1913...
.
Early life
Sweeney was born in the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and graduated from that city's St. Ignatius High School.
He attended Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
; Baldwin-Wallace College
Baldwin-Wallace College
Baldwin–Wallace College is a liberal arts college in Berea, Ohio, founded in 1845. It is home to the Riemenschneider-Bach Institute and the Baldwin–Wallace Conservatory of Music, an internationally renowned music school. The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Students receive a...
in Berea, Ohio
Berea, Ohio
- History :The first European settlers were originally from Connecticut. Berea fell within Connecticut's Western Reserve and was surveyed and divided into townships and ranges by one Gideon Granger, a gentleman who served as Postmaster General under President Thomas Jefferson...
; and Cleveland-Marshall Law School in Cleveland, where he studied law despite the discouragement of his father.
Sweeney joined the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and served from 1943 until 1946.
In 1951, Sweeney was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
and began practicing law in Cleveland, Ohio. During his early law career, he served as the assistant director of law for Cleveland from 1951 until 1954. He later served as a special to the Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Ohio from 1958 until 1962.
His second cousin Dr. Francis Sweeney {d.1964} was a suspect in the Cleveland Torso Murderer
Cleveland Torso Murderer
The Cleveland Torso Murderer was an unidentified serial killer who killed and dismembered at least 12 victims in the Cleveland, Ohio area in the 1930s.-Murderers:...
of 1934-1938
Political career
Sweeney was the DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee for Attorney General of Ohio in 1962 but was defeated in the general election that November.
Sweeney was elected as a Democrat in 1964 to an at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
seat to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. He served just one term, the Eighty-ninth
89th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President of the Senate: Hubert Humphrey , starting January 20, 1965* President pro tempore: Carl Hayden - Majority leadership :* Majority Leader and Democratic Conference Chairman: Mike Mansfield...
Congress, January 3, 1965-January 3, 1967.
After Ohio switched to electing members of Congress by districts beginning in 1966, Sweeney decided to forgo a re-election bid and sought the Attorney General's office an additional time. As in 1962, he won the Democratic nomination but fell short in November. He then resumed the practice of law.
Sweeney was appointed in 1976 to an unexpired term on the Cuyahoga County Commission. He was subsequently elected to a full term in 1977. In 1980, he lost his seat on the commission after losing his bid for re-election.
During his tenure as a county commissioner, he was a supporter of regional government, helped establish Cuyahoga's public defender's office and the solid-waste district. He also was a primary advocate for the renovation of the Playhouse Square Center
Playhouse Square Center
The Playhouse Square Center, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, is the second-largest theater complex in the United States . Constructed in a span of nineteen months in the early 1920s, the theaters were subsequently closed down, but were revived through a grass-roots effort...
.
Later Life and Death
Sweeney was one of the first lawyers to bring forward a lawsuit related to asbestos. During his research, he discovered an incriminating document that showed that the manufacturers of asbestos had been aware of its dangers for half a century but conspired to conceal the information from the public. As a result of large settlements from the asbestos manufacturers, he would go on to earn millions of dollars.Sweeney was instrumental in the placement of the so-called "Irish plank" into the Democratic platform at the 1992 Democratic National Convention
1992 Democratic National Convention
The 1992 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party nominated Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas for President and Senator Al Gore of Tennessee for Vice President; Clinton announced Gore as his running-mate on July 9, 1992. The convention was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New...
.
Sweeney's health sharply declined after suffering a major heart attack in 1999.
Sweeney died at the age of 82 on June 30, 2007 at his home in Gates Mills, Ohio
Gates Mills, Ohio
Gates Mills is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,270 at the 2010 census. Gates Mills is an affluent suburb of Cleveland...
, a Cleveland suburb, after suffering from a variety of ailments. He was survived by his wife, Kathryn; 13 children, Robert, Daniel, William, John, James, Edward, Martin, Thomas, Catherine, Patrica Ann, Mary Brigid, Alice, Eileen ; two stepchildren,37 grandchildren, and 3 great-grand children.
External links
- Obituary from The Cleveland Plain Dealer