Herbert Romulus O'Conor (November 17, 1896March 4, 1960) was an American lawyer serving as the 51st Governor of Maryland from 1939 to 1947. He also served in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

, representing Maryland from 1947 to 1953. He was a

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. O'Conor was born in

Baltimore, Maryland 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 ...

to James P. A. O'Conor and Mary Ann (Galvin) O'Conor. He received his

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree from Loyola College and graduated from the

University of Maryland School of Law The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (formerly University of Maryland School of Law) is the law school of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and is located in Baltimore City, Maryland, U.S. Its location places Maryland L ...

in 1920. While in school, O'Conor was a reporter for the Baltimore Sun and

Baltimore Evening Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tri ...

from 1919 to 1920. On November 24, 1920, O'Conor married Mary Eugenia Byrnes (1896–1971) and they had five children, Herbert R. Jr., Eugene F., James Patrick, Robert and Mary Patricia. From 1921 to 1922, O'Conor served as the assistant state's attorney for Baltimore. In 1923, he was elected State's Attorney of Baltimore City, and served there until he was elected as the

Attorney General of Maryland The Attorney General of the State of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits. To run for the office a person must be a citizen of and qua ...

in 1934. O'Conor also served in the National Association of Attorneys General in 1937. His secretary, Camilla Conroy, died in the burning of the luxury liner '' SS Morro Castle'' in 1934. O'Conor identified her body which was found face under close to the wreck site. Herbert O'Conor (MD)

O'Conor was elected as Governor of Maryland in 1938, defeating incumbent

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governor Harry W. Nice. In doing so, he became the first

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descent to serve in that position. As governor, O'Conor created the Maryland Council of Defense during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. He also worked towards improving the state transportation system, and worked towards the construction of new bridges over the Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers. He also worked with other states to encourage inter-state cooperation, and served in positions including the Chairman of the Governor's Conference in 1941, and the President of the Council of State Government in 1943. Near the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, O'Conor sought to improve the effects of the War and founded the Commission on Post War Reconstruction and Development. He also sought to improve the Maryland healthcare system. O'Conor was elected to the

in 1946, but chose not to run for re-election in 1952. In the Senate, O'Conor served as chairman of the Special Committee on Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce from May to September, 1951, during the Eighty-first Congress. After his tenure in the Senate, he continued the practice of law in Baltimore and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, until his death in Baltimore. He is interred in New Cathedral Cemetery.

Building dedications

*Herbert R. O'Conor State Building in Baltimore, Maryland. A building created by an early

James Rouse James Wilson Rouse (April 26, 1914 – April 9, 1996) was an American businessman and founder of The Rouse Company. Rouse was a pioneering American real estate developer, urban planner, civic activist, and later, free enterprise-based philanthr ...

and Guy T. O. Hollyday committee using the 1947 Federal Redevelopment Act funds to subsidize development and resale for a profit.

References

*Herbert O'Conor. December 9, 1998. Maryland State Archives. October 25, 2004

External links

Addresses, Messages and Public papers. From ''The Archives of Maryland''
* , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Oconor, Herbert 1896 births 1960 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians American people of Irish descent Catholics from Maryland Democratic Party governors of Maryland Democratic Party United States senators from Maryland Loyola University Maryland alumni Maryland Attorneys General Politicians from Baltimore State's attorneys in Maryland University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law alumni