John C. Brophy

John C. Brophy was born in the town of Eagle, in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/M65CYC7ECEXCX9D |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1948 |year= 1948 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Ohm |editor-first1= Howard F. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Members of Congress |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AM65CYC7ECEXCX9D/full/A6YIBZP54SHST58H 23] |accessdate= July 28, 2024 }} As a child, he moved with his family to the nearby city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was raised and educated. He graduated from Milwaukee's St. Patrick's School and attended Marquette Academy for a year. Just before turning 18, he enlisted in the United States Navy, about a year after the armistice ending {{nowrap|World War I}}. He served in the Navy from August 1919 to May 1921, and received an honorable discharge.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-john-brophy/152192841/ |title= New Faces in Congress |newspaper= The Washington Star |date= December 30, 1946 |page= 21 |accessdate= July 28, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}

After the war, he attended the Milwaukee Vocational School and worked as a mechanic for aircraft manufacturers and railroads. Through that work, he became involved in organized labor with the Coke and Gas Worker's union, and ultimately became president of the Milwaukee local. He was elected to the Milwaukee Common Council in 1939, and served until his election to Congress.

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In 1942, Brophy made his first run for U.S. House of Representatives, running as the Wisconsin Progressive Party nominee in Wisconsin's 4th congressional district, which then comprised the southern half of Milwaukee County. His opponents in the race were the incumbent Democratic representative, Thaddeus Wasielewski, and Republican former U.S. representative John C. Schafer. Wasielewski prevailed with nearly 49% of the vote, Brophy came in a distant third with 18%.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/5MPC2C75NJZEK8Z |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1944 |year= 1944 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Ohm |editor-first1= Howard F. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Parties and Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5MPC2C75NJZEK8Z/full/AY4AAHXOSVCWJH9D 509], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5MPC2C75NJZEK8Z/full/AA6QNHUEAQYVJ58A 578] |accessdate= July 28, 2024 }}

In 1946, the Wisconsin Progressive Party voted to disband, with the majority of delegates voting to rejoin the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Brophy thus became a member of the Republican Party and that summer made another bid for election to the U.S. House of Representatives, this time seeking the Republican nomination.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-primaries/152195238/ |title= 76 Candidates File For State, Congress Posts |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= June 1, 1946 |page= 3 |accessdate= July 28, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }} He faced a very crowded Republican field, with seven other Republicans in the race. Brophy prevailed with 24% of the vote.{{cite report|url=https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/M65CYC7ECEXCX9D |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1948 |year= 1948 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Ohm |editor-first1= Howard F. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Parties and Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AM65CYC7ECEXCX9D/full/ADUEL2PAJLXGEV9C 605], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AM65CYC7ECEXCX9D/full/ARSSX5XWVLSCPI8U 676] |accessdate= July 28, 2024 }} On the other side of the ticket, the Democratic incumbent, Thaddeus Wasielewski, lost his primary to union organizer Edmund V. Bobrowicz. After the primary, Bobrowicz was accused of communist ties, and Wasielewski decided to re-enter the race as an independent candidate.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-bobrowicz-wasiel/152196539/ |title= Democrats to Probe Bobrowicz's Red Tinge |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= September 18, 1946 |page= 7 |accessdate= July 28, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }} With Wasielewski taking 28.6% of the vote, Brophy won the general election with just 36.5% of the vote.

Brophy served in the 80th Congress, which was nicknamed the "Do-Nothing Congress" by U.S. President Harry Truman. Brophy lost his seat in the Democratic wave election of 1948, receiving just 39% of the vote against Democratic state senator Clement Zablocki, who won the seat with 56% of the vote.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/CKSBXV5IMWXXJ8I |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1950 |year =1950 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Ohm |editor-first1= Howard F. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Parties and Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ACKSBXV5IMWXXJ8I/full/ASMI5LZ3EET5OC8P 652], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ACKSBXV5IMWXXJ8I/full/APGYIT4P4Y5K3S8K 754] |accessdate= July 28, 2024 }}

Brophy made one more attempt to run for Congress in 1950, challenging Zablocki again. Brophy again faced a competitive primary, but managed to defeat his two Republican opponents. Brophy and Zablocki were the only candidates in this general election, and Zablocki won again in a landslide, taking 61% of the vote.{{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/APBOPDVJGICJSJ8H 675], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A7UFC4I5EZMQLN8H/full/AIZMYR5BSTL3NC84 745] |accessdate= July 28, 2024 }}

Although he served only one brief term in Congress, in a term that infamously accomplished very little, his congressional career had one lasting consequence: He nominated Juneau High School graduate Jim Lovell to attend the United States Naval Academy. Lovell went on to become an astronaut and famously commanded the Apollo 13 mission.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-lovell/152200926/ |title= Astronaut Lived in Milwaukee |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= September 18, 1962 |page= 4 |accessdate= July 28, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}

Brophy never ran for elected office again, but remained active in politics. He was chosen to serve on the Republican electoral college slate for the 1952 United States presidential election. Since the Republican nominee, Dwight D. Eisenhower, won the state of Wisconsin, Brophy served as one of Wisconsin's 12 presidential electors that year.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-electors/152200137/ |title= Kohler and Thomson are Named Electors |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= October 1, 1952 |page= 1 |accessdate= July 28, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}

In his later years, he worked in sales and public relations.

Brophy died of cancer in December 1976. He was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Milwaukee.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-brophy/152201496/ |title= Ex-state congressman dies |newspaper= Racine Journal Times |date= December 27, 1976 |page= 7 |accessdate= July 28, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}

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{{US House succession box |state= Wisconsin |district=4|before=Thaddeus Wasielewski|after= Clement Zablocki|years=January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949}}

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{{United States representatives from Wisconsin}}

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Category:1901 births

Category:1976 deaths

Category:People from Eagle, Wisconsin

Category:Politicians from Milwaukee

Category:Milwaukee Common Council members

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

Category:1952 United States presidential electors

Category:20th-century Wisconsin politicians

Category:Marquette University High School alumni

Category:Catholic politicians from Wisconsin

Category:Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Milwaukee)

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