Frank Henry Cooney (December 31, 1872 – December 15, 1935) was a
Canadian-American
Canadian Americans is a term that can be applied to American citizens whose ancestry is wholly or partly Canadian, or citizens of either country that hold dual citizenship.
The term ''Canadian'' can mean a nationality or an ethnicity. Canadians ...
politician and businessman who served as the
ninth governor of
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
from 1933 to 1935.
Early life
Cooney was born in
Norwood,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada, and received a limited education in
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
schools. He dropped out of school at the age of fourteen and worked as a delivery boy in a grocery store and for a short time, he tried working with his father in the nursery business.
Career
Cooney moved to
Butte, Montana
Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to the ...
in July, 1891, and found employment in a grocery store. He then found a position in the wholesale department of the Davidson Grocery Company.
In 1894, Cooney and his brother, Howard C. Cooney, started the firm of Cooney Brothers. Later it was incorporated under the name of Cooney Brokerage company, a success from the beginning. The company continued to expand with the additions of livestock and agricultural holdings. He was public administrator for
Silver Bow County, Montana
Silver Bow County is a county in the U.S. state Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,133. Its county seat is Butte. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the single entity of Butte-Silver Bow. Additional ...
from 1898 to 1900.
Elected lieutenant governor in 1932, Cooney served until March 13, 1933, when he assumed the duties of Governor
John Edward Erickson, who resigned so that Cooney could appoint him to
Thomas J. Walsh
Thomas James Walsh (June 12, 1859March 2, 1933) was an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician from Helena, Montana who represented Montana in the US Senate from 1913 to 1933. He was initially elected by the state legislature, and from 1 ...
's senate seat after Walsh's untimely death. Cooney is credited for reforming the state liquor laws and establishing a water conservation program.
Personal life
He married Emma May Poindexter Cooney on December 27, 1899, and the couple had six children, Francis H, John Phillip, Mary Margaret, Walter Poindexter, and twins, Tyler Thompson and Virginia Elizabeth.
Cooney died of heart failure on December 15, 1935, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor
Elmer Holt
William Elmer Holt (October 14, 1884 – March 1, 1945) was an American politician. He served as the tenth Governor of Montana from 1935 to 1937.
Biography
Holt was born in Savannah, Missouri, and moved with his family to a ranch in Miles City ...
. He is interred at Saint Mary Cemetery in
Missoula
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
. His grandson,
Mike Cooney
Michael R. Cooney (born September 3, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 36th lieutenant governor of Montana from 2016 to 2021. He previously served in the Montana House of Representatives (1977–1981), as the secretary of state of ...
, is a politician who served as the 36th lieutenant governor of Montana.
See also
*
List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States
In total, 72 governors of U.S. states have been born outside the current territory of the United States. Joe Lombardo of Nevada, born in Japan, is the only current governor to have been born outside the United States. Arnold Schwarzenegger ...
References
External links
State of Montana profile National Governors Association biography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooney, Frank Henry
1872 births
1935 deaths
Lieutenant Governors of Montana
Democratic Party governors of Montana
People from Peterborough County
Politicians from Butte, Montana
Businesspeople from Montana
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Canadian people of Irish descent