Democratic Repairman: The Political Life of J. Howard McGrath

by Debra A. Mulligan

Overview

As governor of Rhode Island, J. Howard McGrath oversaw the passage of social legislation aimed at improving the lives of his constituents during the dark days of World War II. As a Rhode Island senator he served as the Democratic National Committee Chairman during the contentious 1948 presidential election, when few believed Harry Truman could defeat New York governor Thomas R. Dewey.

Following Truman's victory, McGrath could easily have written his own ticket to further political success--but his career was cut short in 1952 when he was forced to resign as Attorney General amid a cloud of scandal. This biography traces the rise and fall of a politician who achieved notable success yet ultimately fell victim to his appetite for power, fame and fortune.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476634081
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	05/17/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	333
Sales rank:	710,939
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Debra A. Mulligan is an associate professor at Roger Williams University, and has taught a variety of courses in East Asian, American, and European history. She serves on the national advisory board for the history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta, and is also on the board of directors for the Rhode Island Hall of Fame. She lives in Warren, Rhode Island.
Debra A. Mulligan is an associate professor at Roger Williams University, and has taught a variety of courses in East Asian, American, and European history. She serves on the national advisory board for the history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta, and is also on the board of directors for the Rhode Island Hall of Fame. She lives in Warren, Rhode Island.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Timeline of Important Dates
Preface
 1. Cheers to Eire: Irish Immigration
 2. A Young Man in a Hurry
 3. “With Howard, Howard comes first”
 4. Murder and Mayhem in New England
 5. Fast Track vs. Race Track
 6. The Wiretapping Case: Is Nothing Sacred?
 7. McGrath and the Quonset Summer Colonists
 8. McGrath’s Ticket to the Top
 9. McGrath and FDR’s Second Bill of Rights
10. A Vote for the Veterans
11. The Quest to Place the Displaced
12. He’s Just “wild about Harry”
13. “He’ll sink or swim with Harry”
Epilogue
Appendix: Historians Weigh in on McGrath
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index