Albert Joseph O'Melia was a prominent attorney from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, active in political and civic affairs. Born in Chase, Michigan, April 4, 1889, he moved with his family to Oneida County, Wisconsin when only three months old. After graduating from Rhinelander High School in 1907 and from the Marquette University Law School in 1911, he opened a law office in Rhinelander and the next year ran for Oneida County District Attorney. Successful in the race and in several subsequent elections, O'Melia served as District Attorney for ten years, 1912-1922. On returning to private practice, O'Melia became widely known for his professional abilities. He eventually served as president of the Oneida County Bar Association, of the Sixteenth Judicial Bar Association, and of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin (1942-1943). In 1960, he was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Politically, O'Melia was an active member of the Republican Party. In 1940, 1944, and 1948, he ran for delegate-at-large pledged to Thomas E. Dewey in the Wisconsin Presidential primaries. At the 1940 Republican, Convention, he delivered a speech seconding Dewey's nomination. He also considered running for Senator in that year but decided against it when Dewey lost the nomination.
In Rhinelander, O'Melia was one of the city's busiest residents. During World War I, he filled several volunteer posts including chairman of the Oneida County Council of Defense and secretary-treasurer of the Patriotic Fund Committee. After World War II, he served as Oneida County savings bond sales chairman. He was a charter member and the third president of Rhinelander Rotary, president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1927, and active in the Elks, Knights of Columbus, and the Rhinelander Advancement Association.
Married in 1914 to Eva Hildebrand, O'Melia fathered five children: John, born in 1915, Richard and Donald, 1917, Ruth, 1919, and Albert Jr., [1925?]. All four sons became attorneys. O'Melia died in Rhinelander on October 31, 1964, at age 75.
