Roy G. Fitzgerald
Encyclopedia
Roy Gerald Fitzgerald was an attorney, soldier
, preservationist
, and a member of the United States House of Representatives
from Ohio
.
with his parents, Michael Gerald and Cornelia Maria (Avery) Fitzgerald, in 1890 when his father's employer, the Davis Sewing Machine Company
, was purchased by George P. Huffman
and relocated from Watertown to Dayton. Roy attended the public schools, read law in the office of John M. Sprigg and was admitted to the bar in 1896. Roy G. Fitzgerald commenced practice in Dayton as a partner in the law firm of Sprigg & Fitzgerald that later became Fitzgerald & Sprigg.
with whom he had two daughters and a son. Their son, Roy Jr., was a major
in World War II
, survived the Battle of the Bulge
but died five months after VJ Day. Caroline Fitzgerald was a sickly woman, in the later years of her husband's Congressional service. Caroline Fitzgerald died in 1935. Roy Fitzgerald was married a second time to Alverda J. Sinks of Miami County, Ohio
.
, Roy G. Fitzgerald (Sr.) enlisted in the Army
and was later commissioned a captain of infantry
and was the commanding officer
of Headquarters Company, 329th Infantry Regiment
, American Expeditionary Force
in France
. He was commissioned lieutenant colonel
of Infantry, United States Army Reserve Corps
, in 1928.
from Ohio’s Third District to the Sixty-seventh Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses. He was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Commerce
in the Sixty-eighth Congress. He served on the Committee on Revision of the Laws
in the Seventieth and Seventy-first Congresses, during which time he authored a cumulative codification system for statutory law of the United States and the District of Columbia. He was defeated for reelection in 1930 to the Seventy-second Congress.
During his decade in Congress, Roy Gerald Fitzgerald fought for a number of causes that dismayed his more conservative colleagues, including child labor
laws, reorganization of the U. S. Army Air Corps
as an independent body and Federal care of the needy aged. The latter anticipated Social Security
.
In 1922, Roy G. Fitzgerald introduced a constitutional amendment
to allow Congress to control the labor and working hours of children under 18 which was passed by Congress in 1924. By 1938, only 28 states had ratified it when Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act
(29 U.S. Code Chapter 8), incorporating many of the child labor provisions of the amendment.
and early advocate of flying, Roy G. Fitzgerald was acquainted with Orville and Wilbur Wright
. Rep. Fitzgerald qualified as an "aerial daredevil
" of Congress by flying the 500-odd miles from Dayton to Washington for the reconvening of the lame duck
session of Congress in 1922. In Dayton, he secured the location of Wright Field (now part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
). His interest in flying led him, in 1927, to urge that the Air Force be reorganized as an independent department of the national defense. "The recent oceanic flights", he said at the time, "coupled with the preliminary tests of heavy bombing planes, have startled the world with the tremendous power of aviation. Aircraft have generally appeared to be the cheapest instruments of defense. Now they prove themselves to be one of the most powerful."
From 1927 to 1930, he was a delegate
to the Carnegie Foundation
's Inter-Parliamentary Union at Paris
, Berlin
, Geneva
, and London
to study methods of classifying international law
.
An active man, Roy Fitzgerald climbed Mount Rainier
in 1925 and four years later swam the Bosphorus from Europe
to Asia
in a cold rain. The swim took him 30 minutes.
In June 1934, Congressman Fitzgerald purchased a Dayton-area farm from Frederick B. Patterson, president of National Cash Register Corp. The farm was 133 acre (0.53823238 km²) located on Rural Road 11, one and a half miles south of Alexandersville, and three miles (5 km) east of Miamisburg.
Fitzgerald was a director of the Merchants National Bank & Trust Company in Dayton for more than 50 years, and president of the Montgomery County Historical Society
for 22 years. Although he was not a Dayton native, he enthusiastically led in helping to preserve many Dayton landmarks, notably Newcom Tavern
and the Old Court House. During his presidency, a six million dollar bond was issued to build a new Court House with the condition that the Old Court House building be kept intact. The Court House later became the headquarters of the Historical Society. He oversaw the conservation of the Tavern and began deliberations about its relocation to Carillon Historical Park
.
Roy Gerald Fitzgerald died in Dayton after a long illness and is interred with his family at Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio
.
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, preservationist
Preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
, and a member of 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...
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...
.
Birth and Early Life
Roy G. Fitzgerald was born in Watertown, New York and moved to Dayton, OhioDayton, 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...
with his parents, Michael Gerald and Cornelia Maria (Avery) Fitzgerald, in 1890 when his father's employer, the Davis Sewing Machine Company
Davis Sewing Machine Company
The Davis company began in 1868 in Watertown, New York, and later moved to Dayton, Ohio in about 1890. Davis sewing machines had no conventional four motion feed as it is the needle bar and presser foot that moves the cloth forward so it is sometime referred to as a walking foot or vertical feed...
, was purchased by George P. Huffman
George P. Huffman
George P. Huffman was an American businessman. His Davis Sewing Machine Company, which began producing bicycles in the late 19th century, was the precursor to the Huffman Manufacturing Company , a manufacturer of high-quality bicycles.In 1887, Huffman purchased the Davis Sewing Machine Company in...
and relocated from Watertown to Dayton. Roy attended the public schools, read law in the office of John M. Sprigg and was admitted to the bar in 1896. Roy G. Fitzgerald commenced practice in Dayton as a partner in the law firm of Sprigg & Fitzgerald that later became Fitzgerald & Sprigg.
Marriage and Family Life
In 1900, Roy Gerald Fitzgerald married Caroline L. Wetecamp of Greenville, OhioGreenville, Ohio
Greenville is a city in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,227 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Darke County.-History:Greenville is the historic location of Fort Greene Ville,Greenville is a city in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,227 at...
with whom he had two daughters and a son. Their son, Roy Jr., was a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 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...
, survived the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
but died five months after VJ Day. Caroline Fitzgerald was a sickly woman, in the later years of her husband's Congressional service. Caroline Fitzgerald died in 1935. Roy Fitzgerald was married a second time to Alverda J. Sinks of Miami County, Ohio
Miami County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 98,868 people, 38,437 households, and 27,943 families residing in the county. The population density was 243 people per square mile . There were 40,554 housing units at an average density of 100 per square mile...
.
Military Service
During World War IWorld 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...
, Roy G. Fitzgerald (Sr.) enlisted in 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...
and was later commissioned a captain of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and was the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of Headquarters Company, 329th Infantry Regiment
329th Infantry Regiment
The 329th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States Army during World War II. It was part of the 83rd Infantry Division.-History:During World War II, Lt. Sam Magill facilitated the mass surrender of 20,000 German troops on the banks of the Loire River on September 17, 1944.Brigadier General...
, American Expeditionary Force
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was commissioned lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
of Infantry, United States Army Reserve Corps
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
, in 1928.
Congressional Service
Capt. Roy G. Fitzgerald was elected as a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
from Ohio’s Third District to the Sixty-seventh Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses. He was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Commerce
United States House Committee on Government Reform
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816....
in the Sixty-eighth Congress. He served on the Committee on Revision of the Laws
United States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
in the Seventieth and Seventy-first Congresses, during which time he authored a cumulative codification system for statutory law of the United States and the District of Columbia. He was defeated for reelection in 1930 to the Seventy-second Congress.
During his decade in Congress, Roy Gerald Fitzgerald fought for a number of causes that dismayed his more conservative colleagues, including child labor
Child labor
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
laws, reorganization of the U. S. Army Air Corps
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
as an independent body and Federal care of the needy aged. The latter anticipated Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
.
In 1922, Roy G. Fitzgerald introduced a constitutional amendment
Constitutional amendment
A constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.Most constitutions require that amendments cannot be enacted unless they have passed a special procedure that is more stringent than that required of ordinary legislation...
to allow Congress to control the labor and working hours of children under 18 which was passed by Congress in 1924. By 1938, only 28 states had ratified it when Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act
Fair Labor Standards Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 is a federal statute of the United States. The FLSA established a national minimum wage, guaranteed 'time-and-a-half' for overtime in certain jobs, and prohibited most employment of minors in "oppressive child labor," a term that is defined in the statute...
(29 U.S. Code Chapter 8), incorporating many of the child labor provisions of the amendment.
Fitzgerald and Flight
A licensed pilotAviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and early advocate of flying, Roy G. Fitzgerald was acquainted with Orville and Wilbur Wright
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
. Rep. Fitzgerald qualified as an "aerial daredevil
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
" of Congress by flying the 500-odd miles from Dayton to Washington for the reconvening of the lame duck
Lame duck (politics)
A lame duck is an elected official who is approaching the end of his or her tenure, and especially an official whose successor has already been elected.-Description:The status can be due to*having lost a re-election bid...
session of Congress in 1922. In Dayton, he secured the location of Wright Field (now part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
). His interest in flying led him, in 1927, to urge that the Air Force be reorganized as an independent department of the national defense. "The recent oceanic flights", he said at the time, "coupled with the preliminary tests of heavy bombing planes, have startled the world with the tremendous power of aviation. Aircraft have generally appeared to be the cheapest instruments of defense. Now they prove themselves to be one of the most powerful."
Post Congressional Life
After his Congressional service, he resumed the independent practice of law in Dayton, with partners Thomas H. Ford, and Wayne F. Lee.From 1927 to 1930, he was a delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
to the Carnegie Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
's Inter-Parliamentary Union at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to study methods of classifying international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
.
An active man, Roy Fitzgerald climbed Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
in 1925 and four years later swam the Bosphorus from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in a cold rain. The swim took him 30 minutes.
In June 1934, Congressman Fitzgerald purchased a Dayton-area farm from Frederick B. Patterson, president of National Cash Register Corp. The farm was 133 acre (0.53823238 km²) located on Rural Road 11, one and a half miles south of Alexandersville, and three miles (5 km) east of Miamisburg.
Fitzgerald was a director of the Merchants National Bank & Trust Company in Dayton for more than 50 years, and president of the Montgomery County Historical Society
Montgomery County Historical Society
The Montgomery County Historical Society, located in Dayton, Ohio, USA, was designated as official historian of Montgomery County, Ohio, and of the cultural heritage of Ohio's Miami Valley...
for 22 years. Although he was not a Dayton native, he enthusiastically led in helping to preserve many Dayton landmarks, notably Newcom Tavern
Newcom Tavern
Newcom Tavern, also known as the "Old Cabin", is a historic structure in Dayton, Ohio. It was built in 1796 by Colonel George Newcom, one of the first settlers in Dayton after the Treaty of Greenville . It was established as the New Jersey Land Company, under the leadership of Jonathan Dayton, with...
and the Old Court House. During his presidency, a six million dollar bond was issued to build a new Court House with the condition that the Old Court House building be kept intact. The Court House later became the headquarters of the Historical Society. He oversaw the conservation of the Tavern and began deliberations about its relocation to Carillon Historical Park
Carillon Historical Park
Carillon Historical Park is a 65-acre park and museum in Dayton, Ohio, which contains historic buildings and exhibits concerning the history of technology and the history of Dayton and its residents from 1796 to the present. The historical elements of the park were the brainchild of Colonel...
.
Roy Gerald Fitzgerald died in Dayton after a long illness and is interred with his family at Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio
Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio
Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum , located at 118 Woodland Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, is one of the oldest "garden" cemeteries in the United States....
.
Sources
- “Roy Fitzgerald, Legislator, Dies.” New York Times, 17 November 1962, page 25.
- Bambakidis, Elli. Dayton Collection, Manuscripts Section Dayton & Montgomery County Public Library. Box 4: Newcom Tavern - Old Court House - Correspondence 1921-1958, Legal documents 1933-1954, Record of relics 1902-1942, Newspaper clippings 1894-1969, Financial statement 1933-1956, and miscellaneous material. Inventory compiled 1994.