John J. O'Connor

John Joseph O'Connor (November 23, 1885 – January 26, 1960) was an American lawyer and politician from New York City. From 1923 to 1939, he served eight terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A leader of the conservative Democrats, he chaired the powerful House Rules Committee. President Franklin Roosevelt made him a major target of his purge of Democrats who opposed the New Deal, and he was defeated in 1938.

Early life and education O'Connor was born in Raynham, Massachusetts. He graduated from Brown University in 1908 and Harvard University School of Law in 1911.

Political career He was a member of the New York State Assembly (New York Co., 12th D.) in 1921, 1922 and 1923.

Tenure in Congress He was elected as a Democrat to the 68th United States Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of W. Bourke Cockran, and was re-elected to the seven succeeding Congresses, holding office from November 6, 1923, to January 3, 1939. He was a delegate at large to the 1936 Democratic National Convention. O'Connor was one of the few Democrats targeted in the 1938 primaries by Franklin D. Roosevelt to be defeated. He eventually switched parties and was the Republican nominee but lost re-election.

Rules chairman He was chairman of the House Rules Committee between 1935 and 1938. O'Connor was a spokesman for big business and helped defeat Roosevelt's executive reorganization bill. He tried and failed to keep the Fair Labor Standards Act bottled up in committee. Ridiculing the New Deal Coalition, he mocked the poor people who “go to the public trough to be fed.”

Death and burial He died in Washington, and was interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring, Maryland.