Arthur A. Quinn
American labor union leader (1866–1957)
Arthur A. Quinn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of the New Jersey Federation of Labor | |
| In office 1913–1933 | |
| Member of the New Jersey Senate | |
| In office 1929–1933 | |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly | |
| In office 1913–1915 | |
| Controller of the Port of New York | |
| In office 1933–1951 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1866-05-13)May 13, 1866 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 2, 1957(1957-02-02) (aged 90) Edison, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Spouse | Jeanette Cecelia Larkin (m. 1890) |
| Children | 4 |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | President, New Jersey Federation of Labor |
Arthur A. Quinn (May 13, 1866 – February 2, 1957) was an American labor union leader and politician. He served as the New Jersey State President of the American Federation of Labor from 1913 to 1933. A member of the Democratic Party, Quinn served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1913 to 1915 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1929 to 1933.
Early life
Arthur Augustine Quinn was born on May 13, 1866, in Philadelphia, to Jane (née Mcdonnell) and Terrence T. Quinn. One of nine children, the family moved to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1874.[1]
Career
Quinn began his career as a carpenter before taking up leadership roles in organized labor in New Jersey. In 1896, Quinn helped found the Local 65 chapter of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC), the second union organized in Perth Amboy.[2][3] He began as an organizer for the national union in 1902 before becoming the second general vice president of the UBC in 1906 and the vice president in 1908. Beginning in 1913, he served for 20 years as the president of the New Jersey Federation of Labor (a state branch of the American Federation of Labor).[2] During his two decades at the helm, Quinn supported the creation of a fund for “old age relief,”[4] the dissolution of sweat shops, investigating the wages paid to women and children, the creation of unemployment insurance, and creating a five day work week with a six-hour work day.[1]
In addition to his work as a state labor leader, Quinn entered politics in 1913 when he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly to represent Middlesex County.[5] After state senator Morgan Foster Larson resigned his position in 1929 to become governor of New Jersey, Quinn became the Democratic nominee to replace him in a special election. He defeated Republican nominee Russell Watson in the November election by more than 3,000 votes, thanks in part to the support from Jersey City mayor Frank Hague.[2][5] Quinn ran for a full three-year term during the following election cycle, which he won more by more than 11,000 votes over Assemblyman Irving Demarest. He became the minority whip of the New Jersey Senate in 1933.[2] As a state senator, Quinn served on the Committee on Banks and Insurance, and was active in the Advisory Committee on Employment Problems.[1] He introduced the state's first unemployment compensation bill in 1933, though it was defeated.[3] Prior to the 1934 New Jersey gubernatorial election, he was unanimously endorsed by the New Jersey Federation of Labor to be the Democratic nominee for governor.[6]
Quinn was a founding member and served as President of the Union National Bank of Newark, which opened in February 1925.[1]
In 1933, Quinn resigned his seat in the senate and retired from his post as state AFL president to become the controller of the Port of New York after being nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He would remain in this role for 18 years until he retired from public service in 1951.[2] In 1937, he was Chairman of the New Jersey State Housing Authority.[6]
Personal life
Quinn married Jeanette Cecelia Larkin on November 29, 1890.[1] They had four children: Arthur A., Jr., Agnes Elizabeth, Jane, and Terrence Joseph "Teddy." The family lived in the Sewaren section of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey.
Quinn was presented a key to the city by Atlantic City mayor Anthony M. Ruffu Jr.[1]
Quinn died on February 2, 1957 in Roosevelt Hospital[3] in Edison, New Jersey. David T. Wilentz was a pallbearer at his funeral.[2]
His personal papers are held at The Monsignor Noe Field Archives and Special Collections Center at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Arthur A. Quinn Papers (1901-1960)". Seton Hall University. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Labor Leader: Arthur Quinn was a Middlesex senator, state AFL president". New Jersey Globe. 2024-09-02. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
- ^ a b c "Arthur A. Quinn Dies: Former Jersey Legisator, 90, Was Labor Leader In State". The New York Times. 1957-02-03. p. 76. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
- ^ "Jesey Labor to Ask Old Age Relief". The New York Times. 1930-09-15. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
- ^ a b "A.A. QUINN NAMED TO CUSTOMS POST: Jersey Labor Leader Is Picked by Roosevelt for Controller of the Service Here". The New York Times. 1933-05-21. p. 22. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
- ^ a b "CUSTOMS COLLECTOR". The New York Times. 1937-06-30. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
External links
- Arthur A. Quinn Papers (1901-1960) at The Monsignor Field Archives & Special Collection Center
- Arthur A. Quinn: A Hidden Figure in New Jersey's Labor Movement at ArcGIS StoryMaps
