Joseph F. Guffey
| Joe Guffey | |
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United States Senator from Pennsylvania |
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In office January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1947 |
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| Preceded by | David Reed |
| Succeeded by | Edward Martin |
| Member of the Democratic National Committee from Pennsylvania |
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In office May 18, 1920 – May 20, 1928 |
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| Preceded by | A. Mitchell Palmer |
| Succeeded by | Sedgwick Kistler |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 29, 1870 Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | March 6, 1959 (aged 88) Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Democratic |
Joseph Finch "Joe" Guffey (December 29, 1870 – March 6, 1959) was an American business executive and Democratic Party politician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1935 until 1947.
Joseph Finch Guffey was born December 29, 1870, at Guffey Station in Sewickley Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania to John and Barbaretta (Hough) Guffey. He was the last born of his brothers; James C, and Alexander S, and sisters; Ida Virginia, Pauletta, Mary Emma, Jane Cambell, and Elizabet Irwin. He attended but did not graduate from Princeton University. As a Princeton student, he became a disciple of Professor Woodrow Wilson. During Wilson's tenure as Princeton president, Guffey, and other former students were vocal supporters of Wilson's Quad Plan. He was instrumental in helping Wilson to secure the Democratic presidential nomination in 1912.
He was a member of the War Industries Board (Petroleum Service Division), as well as the Director of the Bureau of sales in the Alien Property Custodian's office during World War I.
Guffey, who owned an oil company with his two sisters, suffered financial setbacks in oil speculation during World War I and was indicted by a federal grand jury for mis-use of the funds under his control as Sales Director. The charges were later dropped as part of a deal made during the Harding/Coolidge Administrations' Teapot Dome Scandal. He was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 1920 through 1928.
Guffey and his lieutenant, David L. Lawrence led a resurgence of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Guffey was elected to the United States Senate in 1934, unseating Republican Senator David Reed. Guffey was the first Democrat to win election as Senator from Pennsylvania since William A. Wallace won election in 1874. In that same year, George H. Earle III became the first Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania since the 19th century.
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