Edward Joseph Flynn (September 22, 1891 – August 18, 1953) was an American lawyer and politician. Flynn was a leading Democratic politician of the mid-twentieth-century, known for his tight control of

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

Democratic Party organization after 1922, and his close association with President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

after 1932.

Life

Flynn was the youngest son of Henry T. Flynn and Sarah Mallon Flynn. He was born on September 22, 1891, in

, then

New York County Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, now

Bronx County The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Yor ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. He graduated from

Fordham Law School Fordham University School of Law is the law school of Fordham University. The school is located in Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city. In 2013, 91% of the law school's first-time test tak ...

in 1912, was admitted to the bar in June 1913, and practiced in the Bronx. On June 15, 1927, he married Helen Margaret Jones. He entered politics as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

; and was a member of the New York State Assembly (Bronx Co., 2nd D.) in 1918,

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the ...

, 1920 and 1921. He was sheriff of Bronx County, New York, (1922–1925), chamberlain of the City of New York (1926–1928), chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bronx County Democratic Committee (1922–1953),

secretary of state of New York The secretary of state of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York who leads the Department of State (NYSDOS). The current secretary of state of New York is Robert J. Rodriguez, a Democrat. Duties The secre ...

state (1929–1939), Democratic national committeeman from New York (1930–1953), and chairman of the Democratic National Committee (1940–1943). He was also the United States commissioner general on the New York World's Fair Commission (1939-1940). He was a close associate of President

for many years. Along with James Farley he was the president's chief advisor of patronage. He helped Roosevelt through all of his elections, but repeatedly refused offers of jobs in the Roosevelt administration. He did accompany Roosevelt to the

Yalta Conference The Yalta Conference (codenamed Argonaut), also known as the Crimea Conference, held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the post ...

remaining in Europe afterwards to carry out various missions for the president. His mission was to open a diplomatic relationship between the Kremlin and the Papacy. The President believed that peace could only be obtained in Eastern Europe if there was large Catholic presence. After his mission, Flynn traveled to England to meet with Prime Minister Winston Churchill. His work in England was cut short by Roosevelt's death; this death marked the end of Flynn's mission in Europe. In 1947, Flynn published ''You're the Boss'', a memoir of his experiences in politics. Flynn was one of the key figures in electing

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

to each term of his presidency. His support in 1944 was crucial to Truman's selection as the vice presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, and thus his subsequently becoming president upon Roosevelt's death. Flynn was also one of the driving forces behind Truman's 1948 election victory. Flynn died on August 18, 1953, in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

while on a visit to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. His papers were given by his family to the

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum holds the records of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States (1933–1945). Located on the grounds of Springwood, the Roosevelt family estate in Hyde Park, New ...

, to be made available for the general public.

Legacy

The phrase "

in like Flynn "In like Flynn" is a slang phrase meaning "having quickly or easily achieved a goal or gained access as desired." Origins Edward J. Flynn Etymologist Eric Partridge presents evidence that it refers to Edward J. Flynn (most prominent c. 1922 - ...

" has sometimes been claimed to be a reference to Flynn, though its folk etymology more frequently associates it with actor

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

. Etymologist

Eric Partridge Eric Honeywood Partridge (6 February 1894 – 1 June 1979) was a New Zealand– British lexicographer of the English language, particularly of its slang. His writing career was interrupted only by his service in the Army Education Corps an ...

presents evidence that candidates Flynn backed were almost automatically "in", citing usage during Flynn's life that refers to him.Partridge, Eric (1986). ''A Dictionary of Catch Phrases.'' Routledge, His son Richard Flynn became chairman of the Power Authority under

Mario Cuomo Mario Matthew Cuomo (, ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as ...

References

External links

Biography
at the FDR Library
Short biographical entry
from ''

The Columbia Encyclopedia The ''Columbia Encyclopedia'' is a one-volume encyclopedia produced by Columbia University Press and, in the last edition, sold by the Gale Group. First published in 1935, and continuing its relationship with Columbia University, the encyclopedi ...

'', 6th edition, at Encyclopedia.com (giving wrong birth year), also available fro
Bartleby.com
* (obituary) * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Flynn, Edward J 1891 births 1953 deaths 20th-century American politicians Democratic National Committee chairs Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Politicians from the Bronx Secretaries of State of New York (state) Sheriffs of Bronx County, New York

Life

Legacy

References

Further reading

External links