The 1944 Republican National Convention was held in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, from June 26 to 28, 1944. It nominated Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York for president and Governor John Bricker of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

for vice president.

Background

When the convention opened, Governor Dewey was the front-runner for the nomination. 1940 presidential nominee,

Wendell Willkie Wendell Lewis Willkie (born Lewis Wendell Willkie; February 18, 1892 – October 8, 1944) was an American lawyer, corporate executive and the 1940 Republican nominee for President. Willkie appealed to many convention delegates as the Republican ...

again vied for the nomination, but when he lost the

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

primary, the lack of support from the Republican Party became evident. (Before the election, Willkie would die of a heart attack.) General Douglas MacArthur withdrew his name from consideration in May. Conservative opposition to Dewey coalesced briefly around Governor John W. Brick of Ohio, but Dewey was the overwhelming favorite as the party's convention opened in Chicago in June.

Presidential nomination

Presidential candidates

File:Thomas E. Dewey.jpg,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Thomas E. Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...

of New York File:John William Bricker (Gov., Sen. OH).jpg,

John W. Bricker
of

''(Withdrew -
Supported Dewey)'' File:Gov. Harold E. Stassen LCCN2016877429 (cropped).jpg, Former

Harold Stassen Harold Edward Stassen (April 13, 1907 – March 4, 2001) was an American politician who was the 25th Governor of Minnesota. He was a leading candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 1948, considered for a ti ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

''(Withdrawn)'' File:Douglas MacArthur 58-61.jpg,

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Douglas MacArthur
of

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

''(Declined Consideration)'' Before balloting began, Bricker withdrew in favor of Dewey, removing the last vestige of opposition. Dewey was nominated on the first ballot with 1,056 votes to 1 for MacArthur. Dewey became the second Republican candidate to accept his party's nomination in-person at the convention. All subsequent Republican nominees have accepted their nominations in person with the exception of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

who in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

delivered his re-nomination acceptance speech from

The White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 180 ...

because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

.
Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 28, 1944) File:1944RepublicanPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png, 1st Presidential Ballot

Vice Presidential nomination

Vice Presidential candidates

File:John William Bricker (Gov., Sen. OH).jpg,

John W. Bricker
of

File:Earl Warren Portrait, half figure, seated, facing front, as Governor (cropped 3x4).jpg,

Earl Warren
of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

''(Not Nominated -
Declined Consideration)'' Bricker was nominated unanimously for the vice presidency. A deal was reached between the Dewey and Bricker factions the previous night in which Bricker would withdraw in favor of Dewey in exchange for the number two spot on the ticket.
Vice Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 28, 1944) File:1944RepublicanVicePresidentialNomination1stBallot.png, 1st
Vice Presidential Ballot

Platform

The 1944 Republican platform included a call for a Constitutional amendment establishing equal rights for women. This line was included in all subsequent platforms until 1980, when the debate over the Equal Rights Amendment was occurring.

Cultural Impact

During the convention, Chicago's

Billy Goat Tavern The Billy Goat Tavern is a chain of taverns located in Chicago, Illinois. Its restaurants are based on the original Billy Goat Tavern founded in 1934 by Billy Sianis, a Greek immigrant. It achieved fame primarily through newspaper columns by ...

gained notoriety for posting a notice saying "No Republicans Allowed". This caused Republican conventioneers to pack the place, demanding to be served, and led to increased publicity for the tavern.Our History: Birth of a legend

References

External links

Republican Party platform of 1944
at ''The American Presidency Project''
Dewey acceptance speech
at ''The American Presidency Project'' Republican National Conventions 1944 United States presidential election Political conventions in Chicago 1944 in Illinois June 1944 events 1944 conferences {{US-poli-stub