James Paul Maher (November 3, 1865 – July 31, 1946) was an American labor union official, businessman, and politician. 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 ...

, he is most notable for his service as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

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 * '' ...

, a position he held for five terms (1911-1921).

Early life

Maher was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, one of several children born to Irish immigrants John and Maria Maher. He attended the parochial schools of Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn's St. Patrick's Academy. Apprenticed as a hatter, he moved to

Danbury, Connecticut Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...

in 1887 and was employed as a hat sizer and in other positions on the factory floor.

Career

He was active in his local union and the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutu ...

. Maher became treasurer of the United Hatters of North America in 1897, a post he held until his election to Congress. As a labor union leader, he gained a reputation for successful mediation and adjudication of worker-management disputes. Maher returned to Brooklyn in 1902 and was active with several charitable and fraternal organizations, including the Civic Association of New York,

Society of the Holy Name The Society of the Holy Name, formally known as the Confraternity of the Most Holy Name of God and Jesus, is a Roman Catholic confraternity of the laity and is one of several which are under the care of the Dominican Order. It is open to all C ...

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

, and

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City. History The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...

. Maher was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Sixty-first Congress in 1908. He was elected as a

to the Sixty-second and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1921). He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Labor ( Sixty-third through Sixty-fifth Congresses). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1920 to the Sixty-seventh Congress. After leaving Congress, Maher entered the real estate business in Brooklyn. He later moved to

Keansburg, New Jersey Keansburg (, Felzenberg, Alvin''Governor Tom Kean: From the New Jersey Statehouse to the 9-11 Commission'' p. 5. Rutgers University Press, 2006. . Accessed July 25, 2012. "In 1884, after congressman and future U.S. senator John Kean, Tom Kean' ...

, where he continued in real estate. In 1925, Keansburg employed a borough manager to oversee the local government's day to day operations, and reduced the size of its town council from five members to three. Maher ran successfully for a seat on the council, and was the top vote getter among the candidates. Upon taking office in January 1926, Maher was chosen to serve as mayor. He served until March 1927, when voter dissatisfaction with a significant increase in the municipal budget and the taxes to fund it led to his recall. In 1937, Maher was an unsuccessful candidate for the town council.

Death and burial

Maher died in Keansburg on July 31, 1946. He was buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery,

Keyport, New Jersey Keyport is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 7,240,

Family

In 1890, Maher married Mary Jane (Moran) Maher (1867-1937). They were the parents of a son, Charles Maher, who lived in Keansburg.

References

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maher, James Paul American milliners American people of Irish descent 1865 births 1946 deaths Mayors of places in New Jersey People from Keansburg, New Jersey New Jersey Democrats Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) American trade union leaders Burials in New Jersey Catholics from New York (state) Members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)