Edwin Benedict Dooley (April 13, 1905 – January 25, 1982) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Early life

Edwin B. "Eddie" Dooley was born in Brooklyn,

, on April 13, 1905. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1927, and was an

All American The designation All American often refers to the hyphenated term All-American, a noun or adjective denoting players selected for an All-America sports team. Of an individual, all-American may mean that the person (often male) expresses the qualiti ...

as quarterback of the

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team. He graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 1930.

Start of career

Dooley was a feature writer on sports for the '' New York Sun'' from 1927 until 1938, and was a radio sports broadcaster in New York City from 1936 to 1948. From 1938 to 1955 Dooley pursued a career as a public relations executive for General Foods. During World War II Dooley served as a member of committees on food production and distribution for the War and Navy departments.

Political career

Dooley was a trustee of the village of

Mamaroneck Mamaroneck ( ) is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of M ...

from 1942 to 1946, and mayor from 1951 until 1956. In 1956 Dooley was a successful candidate for the United States House. He was reelected in 1958 and 1960, and served from January 3, 1957, until January 3, 1963. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1962. Dooley voted in favor of the civil rights acts of

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...

and

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

, but voted present on the 24th Amendment to ban

poll tax A poll tax, also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources. Head taxes were important sources of revenue for many governments fr ...

es.

Post-Congressional career

After leaving Congress, Dooley returned to his career in public relations and worked as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. From 1966 to 1975 he served as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. In this role, he generated controversy when he suspended the boxing license of

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

for refusing to be drafted into the Army. In 1972, he changed the policy on access for women sports journalists, permitting them to occupy seats reserved for the press and to enter dressing rooms provided that male athletes were properly attired.

Death and burial

He died in

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

, on January 25, 1982. He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at the family grave site in Hawthorne's

Gate of Heaven Cemetery Gate of Heaven Cemetery, approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of New York City, was established in 1917 at 10 West Stevens Ave. in Hawthorne, Westchester County, New York, as a Roman Catholic burial site. Among its famous residents is b ...

Family

Dooley met his first wife, Harriette M. Feeley of Norwich, Vermont, while they were in college, and they married in 1926.
"Milestones: Oct. 25, 1926"
'' Time''. October 25, 1926. After her death in 1952 he married Anita M. Gilles, who died in 1962. His third wife, Margaret Sheffel, survived him, as did his son, Edwin B. Dooley Jr. (1933-2008).

References

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dooley, Edwin B. 1905 births 1982 deaths Dartmouth College alumni All-American college football players Fordham University School of Law alumni Journalists from New York (state) Radio personalities from New York City American public relations people Mayors of places in New York (state) Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 20th-century American non-fiction writers Sportspeople from Brooklyn Players of American football from New York City 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American journalists American male journalists 20th-century American male writers New York State Athletic Commissioners