William Flinn
| William Flinn | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Chairman of the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania | |
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In office May 12, 1912 – July 2, 1912 |
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| Preceded by | Henry F. Walton |
| Succeeded by | Henry G. Wasson |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 44th district |
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In office January 6, 1891 – March 7, 1902 |
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| Preceded by | John C. Newmyer |
| Succeeded by | William S. Woods |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the Allegheny County district |
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In office January 2, 1877 – May 9, 1889 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 26, 1851 Manchester, England |
| Died | February 19, 1924 (aged 72) St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Political party |
Progressive (after July of 1912) |
| Other political affiliations |
Republican (before July of 1912) |
| Spouse(s) | Nancy Galbraith |
| Children | Seven |
William Flinn (1851—1924) was a powerful political boss and construction magnate in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Along with Christopher Magee (1848—1901), his political partner, the two ran the Republican Party machine that controlled the city for the final twenty years of the 19th century.
He was born in Manchester, England on May 26, 1851 to John Flinn, an Irish immigrant, and Mary Hamilton Flinn, an Englishwoman by birth. The family emigrated later that year to the United States and settled in Pittsburgh's Sixth Ward, famous for its hard-scrabble politics, where his father established a small contracting business.
Educated in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, Flinn dropped out at age 9 to deliver newspapers, shine shoes, and later apprentice in the gas and steam fitting trades.
Flinn became politically active in the Republican Party as a ward boss collecting stray votes. He soon attained office in 1877 as a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners. Flinn quickly partnered with Christopher Magee, the city's Republican Party political boss. In 1877, he was elected to the State House to represent the Pittsburgh area by holding one of Allegheny County's allotted at-large seats. In 1882, Flinn was appointed chairman of the executive committee of the Pittsburgh Republican party, a position he held for the next 20 years, and in 1890 he was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate, where he sponsored the Good Roads Act, which became law in 1895. He remained there until his resignation in 1902. From 1884 until 1912 he served as a delegate to every Republican National Convention.
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