Michael J. Galvin

Michael J. Galvin (1907−1963) was an American military United States Army Reserve Major general who served as commanding general of the 94th Infantry Reserve Division and was a member of the 6th Armored Division during World War II. After the war, Galvin served as United States Under Secretary of Labor and was a member of the Massachusetts Senate.

Early life Galvin was born on September 7, 1907, in Charlestown. In 1933 he graduated from the Northeastern University School of Business.

Military career In 1928, Galvin enlisted as a private in the 9th Infantry Division. He went on active duty in 1940. General George Patton placed Galvin in the lead tank of his Flying columns. In 1952 he led the United States delegation to a conference in Miami Beach, Florida, that discussed migratory labor agreements between the U.S. and Mexico. During the Eisenhower administration, Galvin was deputy coordinator of a team that campaigned for legislation in each state to authorize absentee voting for soldiers.

In 1962, Galvin was elected to the Massachusetts Senate. In September 1963 he became paralyzed from the waist down. He continued to serve in the Senate, where he fought for passage of the D.P.W. legislation which was later renamed the "Galvin Bill". Galvin died on December 12, 1963, at the Soldiers Home in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His papers were donated to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library.