William Frederick Broening (1870–1953) was a Maryland politician and twice
Mayor of Baltimore
The mayor of Baltimore is the head of the executive branch of the government of the City of Baltimore, Maryland. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills, ordinances, or resolutions passed by the ...
(1919–1923, 1927–1931).
Background
William Frederick Broening was born in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
on 2 June 1870, the son of Henry Jacob Broening and Catherine (Petri) Broening. He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1897.
Political career
Broening served as a member of the
Baltimore City Council
The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore and its more than 600,000 citizens. It has 14 members elected by district and a president elected at-large; all serve four-year terms. The Council holds reg ...
1897–99 where he introduced legislation to establish the Electric Commission. He served in the
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...
1902–04 where he served on the Judiciary Committee. He was elected Baltimore State's Attorney in 1911 and reelected to the position in 1915. He was selected as the
Republican candidate for the Mayoralty contest in 1919 and defeated George Weems Williams, Democrat, on 3 March 1919. Broening left the Mayor's office in 1923, but returned to serve a second term from 1927 to 1931.
Fraternal societies
Broening was a member of the
Loyal Order of Moose, the
Knights of Pythias
The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded ...
, the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Order of Odd ...
and the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Death and interment
Broening died on 12 October 1953. He was buried at
Woodlawn Cemetery.
[William F. Broening, Political Graveyard]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broening, William Frederick
Mayors of Baltimore
Baltimore City Council members
University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law alumni
1870 births
1953 deaths