George Francis O'Shaunessy (May 1, 1868November 28, 1934) was an American politician. He was born in 1868 in
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
, Ireland and immigrated to New York in 1872. After attending
Columbia College Law School
Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestig ...
, he was admitted to the bar of
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:
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* '' ...
in 1889. He served as
deputy attorney general
The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) is the second-highest-ranking official in a department of justice or of law, in various governments of the world. In those governments, the deputy attorney general oversees the day-to-day operation of the departme ...
of New York in 1904 and 1905 and as assistant
corporation counsel of New York City
The New York City Law Department, also known as the Office of the Corporation Counsel,http://www.nyc.gov/html/law/downloads/pdf/NYLD%20History%20Card.pdf is the department of the government of New York City responsible for most of the city's lega ...
in 1906.
He moved to
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
in 1907 and was elected 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 ...
to Congress representing
Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District
Rhode Island's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It includes all of Bristol and Newport counties, along with parts of Providence County, including most of the city of Providence.
The dis ...
in 1910. He remained a Representative until 1919, having declined to run in 1918 in order to seek (unsuccessfully) election as a U.S. Senator.
O'Shaunessy then was appointed by President
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
collector of internal revenue for the district of Rhode Island. He served in that position until Wilson left office in 1921, when he returned to the practice of law.
He died in Providence in 1934. He was buried in St. Francis Cemetery in
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Falls ...
.
References
19th-century Irish people
20th-century Irish people
People from Galway (city)
People from County Galway
Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)
1868 births
1934 deaths
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island
Columbia Law School alumni
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