Jeremiah Edward O'Connell (July 8, 1883 – September 18, 1964) was 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

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...

. Born in

Wakefield, Massachusetts Wakefield is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, incorporated in 1812 and located about north-northwest of Downtown Boston. Wakefield's population was 27,090 at the 2020 census. Wakefield offer ...

, O'Connell attended the public schools. He was graduated from

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...

in 1906 and from the law school of the same university in 1908. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1907 and commenced practice in Boston, Massachusetts. He moved to

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

, in 1908 and continued the practice of law. He served as member of the city council 1913–1919, and as member of the board of aldermen 1919–1921. O'Connell 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 the Sixty-eighth and Sixty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1927). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1926 to the Seventieth Congress. O'Connell was elected to the Seventy-first Congress and served from March 4, 1929, until his resignation on May 9, 1930, having been appointed an associate justice of the

Rhode Island Superior Court The Rhode Island Superior Court is the state trial court of general jurisdiction in Rhode Island. Jurisdiction The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in all felony proceedings, civil matters with an amount in controversy in excess of $10,000, ...

, serving until January 10, 1935, when he was appointed presiding justice and served until his resignation in 1948. O'Connell was elected as an associate justice of the

Rhode Island Supreme Court The Rhode Island Supreme Court is the Supreme court, court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, all selected by the Governor of Rhode Island from candidates vetted by ...

and served until his resignation on January 18, 1956."Andrews, Roberts, Paolino Named To Three Vacancies On State Supreme Court", ''

Newport Daily News ''The Newport Daily News'' is a six-day daily newspaper serving Newport County, Rhode Island. It publishes in the mornings on weekdays (Monday through Friday) and in the morning on Saturdays. The ''Daily News'' was the state's largest family-owne ...

(January 18, 1956), p. 1. He was a resident of

Cranston, Rhode Island Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island. The official population of the city in the 2020 United States Census was 82,934, making it the second largest in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island ...

, until his death September 18, 1964. He was interred in St. Francis Cemetery,

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 Fal ...

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnell, Jeremiah E. 1883 births 1964 deaths Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Boston University School of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island Providence City Council members People from Wakefield, Massachusetts 20th-century American judges 20th-century American politicians