Clarence Dennis Coughlin (July 27, 1883 – December 15, 1946) was an American lawyer, educator, and politician who served one term as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

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

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

from 1921 to 1923.

Biography

Clarence Coughlin (uncle of Lawrence Coughlin) was born in

Kingston, Pennsylvania Kingston is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on the western bank of the Susquehanna River opposite the city of Wilkes-Barre. Kingston was first settled in the early 1770s; it was incorporated as a borough in ...

. He was the son of James M. Coughlin, who was the superintendent of Wilkes-Barre school area and would later have a

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes comp ...

named after him following his death.

Education and early career

Clarence Coughlin attended

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

in Middletown, Connecticut, and

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

. He taught in the Wilkes-Barre High School from 1906 to 1910. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1910 and practiced law in

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...

, from 1910 to 1920. He was engaged in manufacturing, banking, and the development of real estate in

Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the s ...

and

Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...

Political activities

He served as a member of the committee of

public safety Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensur ...

of the State and county in 1918, and served six years as a member of the commission to revise the penal code of Pennsylvania. He was chairman of the Republican county committee of Luzerne County from 1915 to 1917.

Congress

In 1912, Coughlin unsuccessfully ran for Congress under the

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...

banner, coming in ahead of incumbent Republican Charles Bowman but ultimately losing to John Casey. Coughlin was elected as a Republican to the

67th Congress The 67th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 192 ...

, during which he served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Commerce. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann, the day after Éamon de Valera ...

Later career

After leaving Congress, he was appointed judge of the

Luzerne County Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...

Court of Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...

in 1925 to fill an unexpired term caused by the death of Judge Woodward. He was elected in November 1927 for a ten-year term and served until 1937.

Death and burial

Coughlin died in

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the s ...

, aged 63. He is interred in Mount Greenwood Cemetery in

Trucksville, Pennsylvania Trucksville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kingston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,152 at the 2010 census. Geography Trucksville is located at , along Pennsylvania Route 309 in the western part ...

References

External links

*
The Political Graveyard
Pennsylvania lawyers Pennsylvania state court judges American bankers People from the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area People from Kingston, Pennsylvania Harvard College alumni Wesleyan University alumni 1883 births 1946 deaths Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 20th-century American judges 20th-century American legislators 20th-century American lawyers Judges of the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas {{Pennsylvania-state-judge-stub