Gerald T. Flynn

Born on a farm in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, near the city of Racine, Flynn attended a rural grade school and graduated from St. Catherine's High School in 1928. He went on to attend Marquette University Law School, where he earned his LL.B. in 1933. He was admitted to the bar later that year and immediately began practicing law in the city of Racine.{{cite web|url= https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS7736 |title= Flynn, Gerald T. 1910 |website= Wisconsin Historical Society |accessdate= September 29, 2023 }}

As a student, he was already active with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and was selected chairman of the Young Democrats club of Racine around the time he opened his law practice.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-gerald-flynn-lawyer/132634935/ |title= Gerald T. Flynn Opens Law Office |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= September 6, 1933 |page= 4 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} His legal work often intersected with his political advocacy, and he often represented local unions. He was selected as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960.

He first stood for election to office in 1950, when he ran as the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin Senate in the 21st State Senate district. He narrowly defeated former state representative Randolph H. Runden in the general election and went on to represent Racine County in the 1951 and 1953 sessions.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/7UFC4I5EZMQLN8H |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1952 |year= 1952 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Toepel |editor-first1= M. G. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Parties and Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A7UFC4I5EZMQLN8H/full/AHAYNS77AXYB5Z8Q 678], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A7UFC4I5EZMQLN8H/full/AKK66S4TRYBXST8H 748] |accessdate= September 29, 2023 }}

Flynn decided that the demands of being a state legislator took too much of his time away from his legal practice, and announced that he would not run for another term in 1954.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-la-crosse-tribune-wyngaard-notes/132636557/ |title= Notes by a State Political Reporter |first= John |last= Wyngaard |newspaper= La Crosse Tribune |date= May 7, 1954 |page= 4 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} Two years later, however, he decided to seek elected office again, running for United States House of Representatives, challenging then-eight term incumbent Republican congressman Lawrence H. Smith in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district. He defeated perennial candidate Kenosha engineer Erling Johnson in the Democratic primary, but lost to Smith in the general election. Although he only received 43% of the vote, he earned more votes than any previous Democratic candidate in the history of the district.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-obituary-for-gerald-t/132640137/ |title= Gerald T. Flynn is dead at 79 |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= May 15, 1990 |page= 1 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-congressional-primarie/132637907/ |title= Renominate 9 in Wisconsin to House of Representatives |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= September 12, 1956 |page= 10 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/2BH4FP76N6HMK8V |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1958 |year= 1958 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Toepel |editor-first1= M. G. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Parties and Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A2BH4FP76N6HMK8V/full/AZO2ABOKAHA4MI8V 668], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A2BH4FP76N6HMK8V/full/AQKVWDQ5RZYDTR86 774] |accessdate= September 29, 2023 }}

Congressman Lawrence Smith died a year into his ninth term, in January 1958, and Flynn decided to run again for the first congressional district, which would then be an open seat in the 1958 election.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/janesville-daily-gazette-gerald-flynn-1/2579898/ |title= Democrat Wins 1st District Congress Seat |newspaper= Janesville Daily Gazette |date= November 5, 1958 |page= 1 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} He faced another competitive primary—this time against fellow attorney Sverre Roang, of Edgerton, Wisconsin—but managed to prevail with strong support from Racine and Kenosha counties.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/LRZ6UQ3SNASLD9C |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1960 |year= 1960 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Toepel |editor-first1= M. G. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Wisconsin State Party Platforms and Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ALRZ6UQ3SNASLD9C/full/ABNZSISE2LTTN68L 654], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ALRZ6UQ3SNASLD9C/full/AMVHWUK6XRRGHZ9D 695] |accessdate= September 29, 2023 }}{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-flynn-smith-election/132637029/ |title= Mrs. Smith and Gerald Flynn to Seek Election to Congress |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= September 10, 1958 |page= 6 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} Flynn went on to face congressman Lawrence Smith's widow, Eleanor Smith, in the general election. Flynn won a close victory with 50.6% of the vote, becoming the first Democrat in 68 years to win an election in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district.

Flynn represented the 1st congressional district in the 86th United States Congress (January 3, 1959{{spaced ndash}}January 3, 1961). His voting record in congress closely aligned with union labor preferences, he voted in the minority against the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, at both a critical amendment and a final vote. He also voted against some in his party, voting for the Civil Rights Act of 1960, including the more controversial voting rights provision in the bill.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-racine-journal-times-sunday-bulletin/132643725/ |title= How Rep. Flynn Voted on Key Issues in 86th Congress |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= October 2, 1960 |page= 18 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}

He ran for re-election in 1960. His opponent in that election was Burlington congregational church minister Henry C. Schadeberg. Schadeberg was considered a political unknown, but was popular from years of church and civic engagement, and was assisted by the district's natural Republican majority.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-schadeberg-popul/132644803/ |title= Personal Popularity Pays Off for Former 'Political Unknown' |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= November 20, 1960 |page= 12 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} Schadeberg prevailed in the general election with 53% of the vote, but Flynn still managed his largest vote total yet, about 16,000 more than he had received in 1956.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/5BZZBS2FDP3LV8O |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1962 |year= 1962 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Toepel |editor-first1= M. G. |editor-last2= Theobald |editor-first2= H. Rupert |chapter= Wisconsin Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5BZZBS2FDP3LV8O/full/AGJWCAYF25RSYN8R 789], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5BZZBS2FDP3LV8O/full/AZE7IUAJL75UDJ8T 865] |accessdate= September 29, 2023 }}

Flynn decided to make a bid to return to office in 1962. He faced a competitive primary, but managed to prevail with 51% over his two Democratic opponents. The result of the general election rematch, however, was almost identical to 1960, with Schadeberg again prevailing with about 53% of the vote.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/XF6R5VAIXPXFS8Y |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1964 |year= 1964 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Theobald |editor-first1= H. Rupert |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AXF6R5VAIXPXFS8Y/full/ARR6GYH2GAQN6A9E 713], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AXF6R5VAIXPXFS8Y/full/A2TNDV6Q2U4MT284 761] |accessdate= September 29, 2023 }}

Flynn made two more attempts to run for Congress, but lost in the primary in both 1964 and 1970.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/NICGVB65P4ZNO8M |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1966 |year= 1966 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Theobald |editor-first1= H. Rupert |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ANICGVB65P4ZNO8M/full/AHF4CKVSPVH5WI9C 734] |accessdate= September 29, 2023 }} Flynn did not run for office again after coming in a distant third in the 1970 Democratic primary behind Les Aspin and Doug La Follette.

{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/4QZIH6JIJYFLR8R |title= The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1971 |year= 1971 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A4QZIH6JIJYFLR8R/full/A2SD4HP2I3XRDB8F 296], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A4QZIH6JIJYFLR8R/full/ANYMFSA4Q6DXRY8J 312] |accessdate= September 28, 2023 }}

Although he never ran for office again, Flynn and his wife remained active members of the Democratic Party and supported many other candidates, including former Flynn campaign staffer Marcel Dandeneau, who represented the Racine area in the Assembly in the 1970s and served as chairman of the Racine County Democratic Party for years after.

Flynn also continued to work as a lawyer until his death. He collapsed in the courtroom of Wisconsin circuit judge Emmanuel J. Vuvunas during a trial and died at Racine's St. Luke's Hospital later that day.

Gerald T. Flynn was the youngest of seven children born to Irish American immigrant John Flynn and his wife Margaret ({{nee}} Williams) Flynn.

Gerald Flynn married Racine public school teacher Mary Cecilia McAvoy at St. Patrick's Church in Racine, on August 3, 1938.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times/21274687/ |title= Breakfast at Hotel Racine Follows Wedding at Church |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= August 3, 1938 |page= 8 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} McAvoy was active with the teachers union and was a long-time member of the leadership of the Racine County Democratic Party. They had two daughters and two sons together and were married for 51 years before her death in January 1990.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-obituary-for-mary-mc-a/132639270/ |title= Mary McAvoy Flynn dies |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= January 6, 1990 |page= 4 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} Gerald Flynn died just four months later. At the time of his death, he had 14 grandchildren. In addition to his legal and political career, Flynn was active in the Catholic community as a member of the Society of the Holy Name and the Knights of Columbus.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/25638939/obituary-gerald-t-flynn/ |title= Flynn, Mr. Gerald T. |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= May 16, 1990 |page= 21 |accessdate= September 29, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}

Their elder son, Dennis J. Flynn, also became a lawyer and Wisconsin circuit judge in Racine.

{{Election box begin|title = Wisconsin Senate, 21st District Election, 1950 }}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 7, 1950

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Gerald T. Flynn

|votes = 20,240

|percentage = 50.34%

|change = +7.19pp

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Randolph H. Runden

|votes = 19,963

|percentage = 49.66%

|change = -6.01pp

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 277

|percentage = 0.69%

|change = -11.82pp

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 40,203

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +18.35%

}}

{{Election box gain with party link no swing

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

|loser = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title = Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District Election, 1964 }}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Democratic Primary, September 8, 1964

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Lynn E. Stalbaum

|votes = 20,293

|percentage = 55.44%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Gerald T. Flynn

|votes = 16,310

|percentage = 44.56%

|change = -6.75pp

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 3,983

|percentage = 10.88%

|change = -2.41pp

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 36,603

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +37.80%

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title = Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District Election, 1970 }}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Democratic Primary, September 8, 1970

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Les Aspin

|votes = 15,185

|percentage = 39.83%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Doug La Follette

|votes = 15,165

|percentage = 39.78%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Gerald T. Flynn

|votes = 6,130

|percentage = 16.08%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Perry J. Anderson

|votes = 1,644

|percentage = 4.31%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 20

|percentage = 0.05%

|change =

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 38,124

|percentage = 100.0%

|change =

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{reflist}}

{{CongBio|F000227}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|us-wi-sen}}

{{s-bef|before = Edward F. Hilker }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin Senate}} {{nowrap|from the 21st district}} |years= January 1, 1951{{spnd}}January 3, 1955 }}

{{s-aft|after = Lynn E. Stalbaum }}

{{s-par|us-hs}}

{{US House succession box

| state=Wisconsin| district=1| before=Lawrence H. Smith| after=Henry C. Schadeberg| years=January 3, 1959{{spaced ndash}}January 3, 1961}}

{{S-end}}

{{USCongRep-start|congresses=86th United States Congress|state=Wisconsin}}

{{USCongRep/WI/86}}

{{USCongRep-end}}

{{United States representatives from Wisconsin}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flynn, Gerald Thomas}}

Category:1910 births

Category:1990 deaths

Category:Politicians from Racine, Wisconsin

Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators

Category:Marquette University Law School alumni

Category:Wisconsin lawyers

Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin

Category:20th-century American lawyers

Category:Catholic politicians from Wisconsin

Category:American people of Irish descent

Category:20th-century Wisconsin politicians

Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives

Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature