Philip Matthew Donnelly (March 6, 1891 – September 12, 1961) was an American politician serving as the 41st and 43rd Governor of Missouri. He was 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 ...

. Donnelly and Christopher S. "Kit" Bond are the only Missouri governors to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Personal history

Donnelly was born in

Lebanon, Missouri Lebanon is a city in and the county seat of Laclede County in Missouri. The population was 14,474 at the time of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Laclede County. The Lebanon Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Laclede County. Hi ...

in 1891, the son of Phil and Margaret (Halloran) Donnelly. Following his graduation from Lebanon High School in 1909 Donnelly attended St. Louis University, earning a law degree in 1913. Donnelly returned to his native Lebanon and entered private practice with J.W. Farris. In 1915 he wed Miss Juanita McFadden. They had one child, a son David, who himself became an attorney and joined his father's law practice.

Political history

Soon after his passing of the Missouri Bar and return to Lebanon Donnelly expressed an interest in politics. His first office was that of Lebanon city attorney, followed by election to one term as Laclede County prosecutor. Phil Donnelly entered state politics in 1922 by being elected State Representative for the Laclede County area. After one term in the House he was elected to Missouri State Senate in 1924 and remained there for the next twenty years. Senator Donnelly became Governor Donnelly for the first time after winning the 1944 gubernatorial race. Highlights of his first term as governor included overseeing the implementation of a new

Missouri state constitution The Missouri Constitution is the state constitution of the U.S. State of Missouri. It is the supreme law formulating the law and government of Missouri, subject only to the federal Constitution, and the people. The fourth and current Missouri C ...

in 1946, creation of the

Missouri Department of Revenue The Missouri Department of Revenue is a U.S. state government agency in Missouri created under the Missouri Constitution in 1945, which is responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of state and local government through the collection and dis ...

, and welcoming international statesman

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

Fulton, Missouri Fulton is the largest city in and the county seat of Callaway County, Missouri, United States. Located about northeast of Jefferson City and the Missouri River and east of Columbia, the city is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri, Metropolita ...

for the famous

Iron Curtain speech The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...

at Westminster College. Missouri law prohibited someone from serving two consecutive terms as governor, so Donnelly was ineligible to run again in 1948. However he ran for governor again in 1952 and won easily. Following his second term, a first in Missouri history, he semi-retired to a law practice in Lebanon with his son. Phil M. Donnelly died September 12, 1961 and is buried in the Lebanon, Missouri city cemetery.

Honors

:*Honorary Doctor of Law degrees were bestowed on Governor Donnelly by

Washington University Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

in 1949 Westminster College, and

William Jewell College William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and endowed with $10,000 by William Jewell. It was associated with the Missouri Baptist Conventi ...

. :*Donnelly Elementary School in Lebanon, Missouri is named for the late Governor. :*Donnelly Hall, formerly a residence hall (1961–2004) at

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

was named in honor of the governor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donnelly, Phil M. 1891 births 1961 deaths People from Lebanon, Missouri Democratic Party governors of Missouri Missouri lawyers Saint Louis University alumni 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers