Michael Paul Feeney (March 26, 1907 – August 13, 1991) was an American politician who served in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1939 to 1981.
Feeney began his political career in 1938. He was elected to Massachusetts House of Representatives from a field of 38 candidates. From 1944 to 1945 he also served on the
Boston City Council. In 1945 he was a candidate for
Mayor of Boston. He finished in last place with 1% of the vote behind
James Michael Curley,
John E. Kerrigan
John E. Kerrigan (October 1, 1908 – May 2, 1987) was the acting mayor of Boston in 1945 after then-Mayor Maurice J. Tobin became governor of Massachusetts.
Biography
Kerrigan was born on October 1, 1908, and was a graduate of South Boston High ...
,
William Arthur Reilly,
John J. Sawtelle, and
Joseph Lee.
In 1952, Feeney became a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. He served as its chairman from 1959 to 1962, when he was removed by speaker
John F. Thompson following a dispute between the two over a railroad tax subsidy. Feeney challenged Thompson for speaker in 1963. Governor-elect
Endicott Peabody took the unprecedented step of endorsing Feeney over Thompson. After Feeney failed to defeat Thompson on the first ballot, most of his supporters backed
Cornelius F. Kiernan as a compromise candidate. Thompson won on the sixth ballot.
In 1965, Feeney was a candidate in the special election to succeed the deceased
Julius Ansel in the Sixth Suffolk District. He lost the Democratic primary to Samuel Harmon.
In 1973, Feeney became "
Dean of the House".
His tenure in the House came to an end after his defeat to
Angelo Scaccia in the 1980 Democratic primary.
Feeney died on August 13, 1991, in
Milton Hospital.
See also
* Massachusetts legislature:
1939
This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history.
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1
** Third Reich
*** Jews are forbidden to ...
,
1941–1942,
1943–1944,
1945–1946,
1947–1948,
1949–1950,
1951–1952,
1953–1954,
1955–1956
Note
:1. The 18th Suffolk District sent two representatives to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1939. Feeney and
Frank J. Morrison succeeded
James A. Burke and
Patrick J. Welsh.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feeney, Michael Paul
1907 births
1991 deaths
20th-century American politicians
Boston City Council members
Democratic Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives