Phil M. Donnelly
Phil Donnelly | |
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 | |
| 41st and 43rd Governor of Missouri | |
| In office January 8, 1945 – January 10, 1949 | |
| Lieutenant | Walter Naylor Davis |
| Preceded by | Forrest C. Donnell |
| Succeeded by | Forrest Smith |
| In office January 12, 1953 – January 14, 1957 | |
| Lieutenant | James T. Blair, Jr. |
| Preceded by | Forrest Smith |
| Succeeded by | James T. Blair, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 6, 1891 Lebanon, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | September 12, 1961 (aged 70) Lebanon, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Juanita McFadden |
| Alma mater | St. Louis University |
| Profession | Attorney Politician |
Philip Matthew "Phil" Donnelly (March 6, 1891 – September 12, 1961) was the 41st and 43rd Governor of Missouri. He was a Democrat. Donnelly and Christopher S. "Kit" Bond are the only Missouri governors to serve two non-consecutive terms.
Personal history[]
Donnelly was born in Lebanon, Missouri in 1891, the son of Phil and Margaret (Halloran) Donnelly.[1] Following his graduation from Lebanon High School in 1909 Donnelly attended St. Louis University, earning a law degree in 1913.[2] Donnelly returned to his native Lebanon and entered private practice with J.W. Farris. In 1915 he wed Miss Juanita McFadden. They had one child, a son David, who himself became an attorney and joined his father's law practice.[3]
Political history[]
Soon after his passing of the Missouri Bar and return to Lebanon Donnelly expressed an interest in politics. His first office was that of Lebanon city attorney, followed by election to one term as Laclede County prosecutor.[2] Phil Donnelly entered state politics in 1922 by being elected State Representative for the Laclede County area. After one term in the House he was elected to Missouri State Senate in 1924 and remained there for the next twenty years.[3] Senator Donnelly became Governor Donnelly for the first time after winning the 1944 gubernatorial race.
Highlights of his first term as governor included overseeing the implementation of a new Missouri state constitution in 1946, creation of the Missouri Department of Revenue, and welcoming international statesman Winston Churchill to Fulton, Missouri for the famous Iron Curtain speech at Westminster College. Missouri law prohibited someone from serving two consecutive terms as governor, so Donnelly was ineligible to run again in 1948. However he ran for governor again in 1952 and won easily. Following his second term, a first in Missouri history, he semi-retired to a law practice in Lebanon with his son. Phil M. Donnelly died September 12, 1961 and is buried in the Lebanon, Missouri city cemetery.[2]
Honors[]
- Honorary Doctor of Law degrees were bestowed on Governor Donnelly by Culver-Stockton College, Westminster College, and William Jewell College.[4]
- Donnelly Elementary School in Lebanon, Missouri is named for the late Governor.
- Donnelly Hall, formerly a residence hall (1961–2004) at University of Missouri was named in honor of the governor.[5]
References[]
- ^ The Messages and Proclamations of Governor Phil M. Donnelly by Floyd C. Shoemaker via the Missouri State Historical Society, 1951.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Phil M. Donnelly". www.nndb.com. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ Floyd C. Shoemaker (June 11, 2018). "The Messages And Proclamations Of The Governors Of The State Of Missouri Volume XVI". The State Historical Society Of Missouri. Retrieved June 11, 2018 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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- 1891 births
- 1961 deaths
- People from Lebanon, Missouri
- Missouri Democrats
- Governors of Missouri
- Missouri lawyers
- Saint Louis University alumni
- Democratic Party state governors of the United States
- 20th-century American politicians
- 20th-century American lawyers