Robert E. Hannegan
| Robert E. Hannegan | |
|---|---|
Postmaster General Hannegan arriving the White House, after the Truman's cabinet meeting, (August 10, 1945).
|
|
| 52nd United States Postmaster General | |
|
In office June 30, 1945 – December 15, 1947 |
|
| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Frank C. Walker |
| Succeeded by | Jesse M. Donaldson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Emmet Hannegan June 30, 1903 St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Died | October 6, 1949 (aged 46) St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Irma Protzmann Hannegan |
| Alma mater | Saint Louis University School of Law |
| Profession | Politician, Civil servant, Businessman |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Robert Emmet Hannegan (June 30, 1903 – October 6, 1949) was a St. Louis, Missouri politician who served as Commissioner of Internal Revenue from October 1943 to January 1944. He also served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1944 to 1947 and United States Postmaster General from 1945 to 1947. After his political career, in 1947, Hannegan and partner Fred Saigh purchased the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. But Hannegan, ill with heart disease, sold his share in the team to Saigh a few months before his death.
He was born on June 30, 1903 in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Anna (née Holden) Hannegan and policeman John Patrick Hannegan. He earned an LL.B. from the Saint Louis University School of Law in 1925. On November 14, 1929, Hannegan married the former Irma Protzmann, with whom he had four children.
A power broker in the St. Louis Democratic Party allied with Senator Bennett Clark, Hannegan helped save the political career of Harry S. Truman in 1940 following the tax fraud conviction of Truman's ally, Kansas City boss Tom Pendergast. Hannegan supported Truman for re-election to the U.S. Senate when he was challenged in the Democratic primary by Governor Lloyd C. Stark and Maurice M. Milligan, who both sought credit for bringing down Pendergast. Truman re-won the seat with increased support in St. Louis, particularly from Catholic neighborhoods in which Hannegan wielded considerable influence. In his second term, Truman achieved national prominence by chairing a Senate committee investigating government waste in defense contracts. When Franklin D. Roosevelt offered Truman the position of DNC chairman, Truman declined but recommended Hannegan.
...
Wikipedia