Joseph R. Callahan
{{Short description|American farmer, businessman, and politician (1892–1977)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| office = Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
| term_start = 1965
| term_end = 1967
| predecessor = At-large district created
| successor = At-large district abolished
| birth_name = Joseph Raymond Callahan
| image = Joseph Callahan, representative, 74th General Assembly of Illinois (1966).jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date|1892|05|30}}
| birth_place = Milford, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|07|31|1892|05|30}}
| death_place = Watseka, Illinois, U.S.
| party = Democratic
| spouse = Helen
| relatives = Cheri Bustos (granddaughter)
Colleen Callahan (granddaughter)
| allegiance = United States
| branch = United States Army
| battles = World War I
}}
Joseph Raymond Callahan (May 30, 1892 – July 31, 1977) was an American farmer, businessman, and politician.
Biography
Callahan was born on a farm near Milford, Illinois in Iroquois County, Illinois. He graduated from the Mitford Township High School in 1912 and served in the United States Army during World War I. Callahan was a farmer; he also raised cattle and hogs. He served as president of the Illinois Farmers Union.'Illinois Blue Book 1965–1966, Biographical of Joe (Joseph) Callahan, pp. 200–201
Callahan was involved with the Democratic Party and served as the Chairman of the Iroquois County Democrats for twenty years. In the 1948 Democratic primary, Callahan nearly lost his position with the county party as a precinct committeeman after allowing a black family to hunt on his land.
Due to partisan gridlock during the 1961 decennial redistricting, the Illinois Supreme Court ordered an at large election for all 177 members of the Illinois House in 1964. Voters were given ballots three feet long.{{cite journal|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1194.html|title=State Politics|last=Devine|first=Michael J.|year=2005|journal=Encyclopedia of Chicago|publisher=Chicago Historical Society|location=Chicago, Illinois}} Callahan was one of the 177 members elected in the subsequent statewide election. He served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967. During his term he served was assigned to the Committee on Agriculture; the Committee on Industry and Labor; and the Committee on Public Utilities, Railroads & Aviation.{{cite book|title=Illinois Blue Book 1965–1966|pages=152–153|access-date=January 20, 2022|url=http://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/bb/id/15745}} John P. Touhy, as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, appointed Callahan to the Water Resource Management Commission.{{cite news|last=Tagge|first=George|title=104 Legislators-Named to Commissions|date=September 2, 1965|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=A1|id={{ProQuest| }}}} In 1965, a map was drawn which placed Callahan and longtime Democratic incumbent Joe W. Russell of Piper City.{{cite news|title=Legislative Reapportionment Rules Out Many Who Won in '64 At-Large Election|date=December 2, 1965|page=5|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|id={{ProQuest| }}}} The 42nd district included all of Kankakee, Iroquois, Ford, and Grundy counties as well as southwestern Will County.{{cite book|author=|title=Illinois Blue Book 1967–1968|chapter=Representative Reapportionment: Legal Descriptions for Cook County Representative Districts Other Than Cook County|url=http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/ref/collection/bb/id/20934|location=Springfield, Illinois|publisher=Illinois Secretary of State|page=327}} Callahan did not run in the 1966 general election. Republicans James R. Washburn and Thomas R. Houde, and Democrat Joe W. Russell won the 42nd district's three seats.[Our Campaigns – IL State House 042 1966 General Election https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=930492] accessed January 20, 2022
Callahan died at the Iroquois Memorial Hospital in Watseka, Illinois.[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=156476 Our Campaigns.com. – Joseph R. "Joe" Callahan]{{cite journal|editor-last=Gherardini|editor-first=Caroline|title=Names: Deaths|journal=Illinois Issues|volume=3|number=10|page=36|issn=0738-9663|access-date=January 20, 2022|url=https://www.lib.niu.edu/1977/ii771031.html}}
Family
One of his sons, Gene Callhan, was a political staffer to several Illinois Democrats before becoming a lobbyist for Major League Baseball.{{cite journal|last=Best|first=Kathleen|title=Mr. Nice Guy goes to Washington|journal=Illinois Issues|volume=20|number=11|page=18|publisher=Sangamon State University|issn=0738-9663|access-date=January 20, 2021|url=https://www.lib.niu.edu/1994/ii941117.html|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120193314/https://www.lib.niu.edu/1994/ii941117.html}} Callahan's granddaughter Cheri Bustos served in the United States House of Representatives.{{Cite web |url=https://bustos.house.gov/a-family-tradition-of-cooperative-public-service/ |title=Congresswoman Cheri Bustos: A family tradition of cooperative public service |access-date=February 22, 2019 |archive-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223074318/https://bustos.house.gov/a-family-tradition-of-cooperative-public-service/ |url-status=dead }}'Gene Callahan, Illinois political aide and MLB lobbyist, 1935–2014,' The Chicago Tribune, Rick Pearson, August 5, 2014 Another granddaughter Colleen Callahan is the Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=174509 Our Campaigns.com. – Colleen Callahan]
Notes
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave|38312000}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Callahan, Joseph R.}}
Category:People from Milford, Illinois
Category:Military personnel from Illinois
Category:Businesspeople from Illinois
Category:Farmers from Illinois
Category:Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives
Category:20th-century American businesspeople
Category:20th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly