James Thomas Molloy (June 3, 1936 – July 19, 2011) was elected

Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives An appointed officer of the United States House of Representatives from 1789 until 1995, the Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives was chosen by a resolution at the opening of each United States Congress. The Office of the Doo ...

during the 93rd

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

in 1974 and served through the 103rd Congress. As Doorkeeper, he introduced six Presidents, several heads of state and other dignitaries in joint sessions and other congressional events. Molloy was the last Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives.

Biography

Early life

James T. Molloy was born in

South Buffalo, Buffalo, New York South Buffalo is a neighborhood that makes up the southern third of the City of Buffalo, New York. Traditionally known for its large Irish-American community, this community also has a strong presence of various other nationalities. The once-hea ...

in 1936 to Matthew Molloy and Catherine Hayden Molloy. Educated in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

in Catholic schools, he worked in the grain elevators of Buffalo's waterfront and fought fires as a member of the city fire department. He worked his own way through

Canisius College Canisius College is a private Jesuit college in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1870 by Jesuits from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. Canisius offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and around 34 master's ...

, becoming a member of the AFL–CIO, the

International Brotherhood of Longshoremen The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) is a North American labor union representing longshore workers along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and inland waterways. The ILA ...

, and the

International Association of Fire Fighters The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is a labor union representing paid full-time firefighters and emergency medical services personnel in the United States and Canada. The IAFF was formed in 1918 and is affiliated with the AFL ...

Career

Molloy worked as a schoolteacher in the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

cities of Buffalo and Lackawanna, and at the age of 27, became the youngest

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 ...

to serve as Party Zone Chairman in the State of New York. He went to

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, ...

in 1968 at the invitation of New York Congressman John Rooney to work in the House Finance Office. During his years of work in that office, he oversaw the growth of legislative appropriations for the House from $75 million to $126 million. He was elected Doorkeeper of the House in 1974, and remained at that post through the 103rd Congress, serving as a primary aide to Speakers Carl Albert,

Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, representing northern Boston, Massachusetts, as ...

Jim Wright James Claude Wright Jr. (December 22, 1922 – May 6, 2015) was an American politician who served as the 48th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1989. He represented Texas's 12th congressional district as a ...

, and

Tom Foley Thomas Stephen Foley (March 6, 1929 – October 18, 2013) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 49th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 1995. A member of the Democratic Party, Foley represent ...

. He was the last of 30 people to hold the position of Doorkeeper from its establishment in 1789 to its elimination in 1994. In this capacity, he introduced Presidents and heads of state to Congress, and coordinated 71 joint sessions and many other events within the House chamber. ::

Legacy

Molloy continued to serve as Chairman of the Board of the

Wright Patman John William Wright Patman (August 6, 1893 – March 7, 1976) was an American politician. First elected in 1928, Patman served 24 consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives for Texas's 1st congressional district from 1929 to 1 ...

Congressional Credit Union, a position he held for 30 years. Molloy is the recipient of numerous honors for his life's work in public service. He has received the Outstanding Citizen Award from the New York State AFL–CIO, the President's Award from the New York State Federation of Police, and the United States Senate Youth Alumni Association Outstanding Service Award. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws from his alma mater,

, as well as the

Sid Yudain Sidney Lawrence "Sid" Yudain (May 6, 1923 – October 20, 2013) was an American journalist who founded ''Roll Call'' in 1955 as a community newspaper focused on the United States Congress and Capitol Hill. Yudain published the first issue of ''Roll ...

Congressional Staffer of the Year Award from Roll Call.

Death

Molloy died of complications of

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

on July 19, 2011, aged 75.

References

External links

GovTrack
published under a "copyleft" license.
Congressman Brian Higgans Western New York, Newsroom
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Molloy, James 1936 births 2011 deaths Employees of the United States House of Representatives Politicians from Buffalo, New York Canisius College alumni Deaths from diabetes New York (state) Democrats