Vincent M. Brennan
Encyclopedia
Vincent Morrison Brennan (April 22, 1890 – February 4, 1959) was a politician
from the U.S. state
of Michigan
.
Brennan was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan
and moved with his parents to Detroit
in 1895. He graduated from SS. Peter and Paul’s Parochial School, then from Detroit College in 1909, from the law department of Harvard University
in 1912, and from the University of Detroit in 1914. He was admitted to the bar
in 1912 and commenced practice in Detroit. He was legal adviser to the Michigan State Labor Department in 1912 and 1913; assistant corporation counsel for the city of Detroit 1915-1920; member of the Michigan State Senate from the 2nd District in 1919 and 1920. He drafted the automobile traffic ordinance of Detroit, used as a model for many other cities. He was also a Catholic and a member of the National Lawyers Guild
, Knights of Columbus
, and Delta Theta Phi
Brennan was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives
from Michigan's 13th congressional district
for the 67th Congress
, serving from March 4, 1921, to March 3, 1923. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1922. Brennan introduced a bill in 1922, the first that proposed to allow radio coverage of U.S. House of Representatives proceedings. The bill failed, and the idea was not revived until the 1940s.
After leaving Congress, he was elected judge of the circuit court of Wayne County
, for the term commencing in January 1924 and was reelected for six successive terms, serving until his resignation effective December 31, 1954. He then practiced law until his death in Detroit. He is interred in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Birmingham, Michigan
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Brennan was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan
Mount Clemens, Michigan
Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,312. It is the county seat of Macomb County.-Early history:...
and moved with his parents to Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in 1895. He graduated from SS. Peter and Paul’s Parochial School, then from Detroit College in 1909, from the law department of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1912, and from the University of Detroit in 1914. He was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1912 and commenced practice in Detroit. He was legal adviser to the Michigan State Labor Department in 1912 and 1913; assistant corporation counsel for the city of Detroit 1915-1920; member of the Michigan State Senate from the 2nd District in 1919 and 1920. He drafted the automobile traffic ordinance of Detroit, used as a model for many other cities. He was also a Catholic and a member of the National Lawyers Guild
National Lawyers Guild
The National Lawyers Guild is an advocacy group in the United States "dedicated to the need for basic and progressive change in the structure of our political and economic system . ....
, Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
, and Delta Theta Phi
Delta Theta Phi
Delta Theta Phi is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. The smallest of the three internationally recognized law fraternities , Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the three major law fraternities to charter chapters in the United States at...
Brennan was elected as a Republican 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...
from Michigan's 13th congressional district
Michigan's 13th congressional district
Michigan's 13th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Wayne County, Michigan. It includes the east side of Detroit, portions of the city's near west side, the inner suburbs of River Rouge, Harper Woods, Ecorse, the downriver communities of Lincoln Park, and Wyandotte,...
for the 67th Congress
67th United States Congress
The Sixty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1921 to March 4, 1923, during the first two years...
, serving from March 4, 1921, to March 3, 1923. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1922. Brennan introduced a bill in 1922, the first that proposed to allow radio coverage of U.S. House of Representatives proceedings. The bill failed, and the idea was not revived until the 1940s.
After leaving Congress, he was elected judge of the circuit court of Wayne County
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
, for the term commencing in January 1924 and was reelected for six successive terms, serving until his resignation effective December 31, 1954. He then practiced law until his death in Detroit. He is interred in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
.