Title: Gerald T. Flynn Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1951-1960

Creator:

• Flynn, Gerald T., 1910-

Call Number: Parkside Mss 59

Quantity: 5.4 c.f. (14 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the Archives & Area Research Center, Library/Learning Center, University of Wisconsin-Parkside; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Parkside Library / Parkside Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of lawyer and Democratic political leader Gerald Flynn, Racine, Wisconsin. Included is correspondence primarily with constituents, clippings, government documents, publications, and drafts of bills from Flynn's service as a Wisconsin State Senator (1949-1953) and as First District Congressman (1959-1960).

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-pks0059

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Gerald Flynn was born on a dairy farm in Racine County, Wisconsin on October 7, 1910. He attended the rural Hood Grade School and later St. Catherine's High School. Flynn then attended Marquette University and Marquette Law School, earning his LL.B. in 1933. During his college summers, Flynn worked at the Modine Manufacturing Company and later did sales work. Beginning in the fall of 1933, Flynn practiced law in Racine with Kenneth Greenquist, who served as State Senator from Racine County from 1939 to 1943.

Flynn began his political career in 1940 when he served on the Democratic State Central Committee. He also served as Democratic county chairman and secretary. In 1948 Flynn was elected from the First Congressional District as a Truman delegate to the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia. In 1950 Flynn was elected to the State Senate from the 21st Senatorial District and served until 1954. During that time he was a member of the Judiciary and Motor Vehicle Insurance committees. The Senate's poor salary ($200/month) discouraged Flynn from seeking reelection, and so he returned to his law practice. In 1956 Flynn ran for the First District Congressional seat, but he failed to unseat Republican incumbent Lawrence H. Smith. Two years later Flynn defeated Smith's wife, Eleanor, and was elected to the 86th Congress on November 4. In Washington, Flynn served on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries and Veterans' Affairs committees. Flynn was defeated in his bid for reelection to the House in 1960 and again in 1962.

In addition to his political career, Flynn has participated in civic affairs. He was elected exalted ruler of Racine Elks Lodge Number 252 and has served on the Junior Chamber of Commerce. Flynn married Mary McAvoy on August 3, 1938. They have four children, Luke, Dennis, Ellen (Kozich), and Agnes (Knodel).

The Gerald Flynn Papers are organized into four major series, reflecting Flynn's activities as Wisconsin State Senator (1950-54) and as First District Congressman (1959-60). There are no files from Flynn's law firm, and almost no incoming correspondence has survived.

State Senatorial Correspondence, although it covers the period from January, 1951 to February, 1953, is heavily concentrated in 1951. The files contain both incoming and outgoing correspondence with constituents dealing with legislative matters.

State Senatorial Subject Files cover both legislative sessions in 1951 and 1953, but are heaviest from 1953. Flynn apparently either changed filing systems or secretaries since there is virtually no chronological file for 1953 and almost no subject file for 1951. The subject matter is the same in both series, however.

Congressional Constituent Correspondence covers the period 1959-60 and is arranged topically by the subject matter of the letter. These files are only outgoing correspondence. The files are alphabetically arranged except for the first folder in the series which is of correspondence with the Flynn family. The correspondence is very routine and deals with naturalization, visa matters, Bong Air Force Base, veterans affairs, military academy appointments, pending legislation, and local matters within the district. Included are copies of letters to national leaders Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, and Wilbur Mills; state leaders Patrick Lucey, Gaylord Nelson, William Proxmire, Henry Reuss, and George Molinaro; labor leaders Walter Reuther, Loren Norman, and Sam Rizzo; and Racine leaders Judge Francis Wendt, Fred Young (President of Young Radiator), and Howard Packard (President of S. C. Johnson).

Congressional Subject Files appear very incomplete but do include some information on subjects of special interest to Flynn such as agriculture, cheese and milk production, education, foreign affairs, labor, and veterans affairs.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Gerald T. Flynn, Racine, Wisconsin, March 3, 1981. Accession Number: M83-086

Processing Information

Processed by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Area Research Center, April 1983.

	State Senatorial Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1	1951 January 17-March 6
Box   1 Folder   2	1951 March 7-March 30
Box   1 Folder   3	1951 April 2-April 13
Box   1 Folder   4	1951 April 18-May 9
Box   1 Folder   5	1951 May 10-May 28
Box   1 Folder   6	1951 June 1-1953 February 13
	State Senatorial Subject Files
	1951
Box   2 Folder   1	A-O
Box   2 Folder   2	P-S
Box   2 Folder   3	T-Z
	1953
Box   3 Folder   1	A-C
Box   3 Folder   2	D-F
Box   3 Folder   3	H-J
Box   3 Folder   4	K-L
Box   3 Folder   5	M-Q
Box   3 Folder   6	R-S
Box   3 Folder   7	T-Z
	Congressional Constituent Correspondence
Box   4 Folder   1	Congressional Correspondence to Flynn Family
Box   4 Folder   2	Ab - Al
Box   4 Folder   3	Am - An
Box   4 Folder   4	Ap - Ay
Box   4 Folder   5	Ba - Bay
Box   4 Folder   6	Bea - Bez
Box   4 Folder   7	Bh - Bon
Box   4 Folder   8	Boo - Br
Box   5 Folder   1	Bs - By
Box   5 Folder   2	Ca - Cha
Box   5 Folder   3	Che - Col
Box   5 Folder   4	Com - Cz
Box   5 Folder   5	Da - De
Box   5 Folder   6	Dh - Dy
Box   5 Folder   7	Ea - Ex
Box   6 Folder   1	Fa - Fl
Box   6 Folder   2	Fo - Fu
Box   6 Folder   3	Ga - Gi
Box   6 Folder   4	Gj - Gre
Box   6 Folder   5	Gri - Hal
Box   6 Folder   6	Ham - Har
Box   6 Folder   7	Has - Hn
Box   7 Folder   1	Ho - Hy
Box   7 Folder   2	I - Joh
Box   7 Folder   3	Joi - Kei
Box   7 Folder   4	Kel - Ki
Box   7 Folder   5	Kj - Ko
Box   7 Folder   6	Kr - Ky
Box   7 Folder   7	Lab - Laz
Box   7 Folder   8	Le - Li
Box   8 Folder   1	Ll - Ly
Box   8 Folder   2	MacA - MacW
Box   8 Folder   3	Ma - Mar
Box   8 Folder   4	Mas - Mer
Box   8 Folder   5	Met - Mill
Box   8 Folder   6	Miln - Mor
Box   8 Folder   7	Mos - My
Box   9 Folder   1	Na - Ne
Box   9 Folder   2	Ni - Od
Box   9 Folder   3	Oh - Pan
Box   9 Folder   4	Pap - Pet
Box   9 Folder   5	Peu - Pos
Box   9 Folder   6	Pot - Qu
Box   9 Folder   7	Ra - Ren
Box   9 Folder   8	Rep - Riz
Box   10 Folder   1	Rot - Ry
Box   10 Folder   2	Roa - Ros
Box   10 Folder   3	Sa - Schl
Box   10 Folder   4	Schm - Scu
Box   10 Folder   5	Se - Sho
Box   10 Folder   6	Shr - Sn
Box   10 Folder   7	So - Sp
Box   10 Folder   8	Sta - Stra
Box   10 Folder   9	Stre - Sz
Box   11 Folder   1	Ta - Th
Box   11 Folder   2	Ti - U
Box   11 Folder   3	Va - Voi
Box   11 Folder   4	Vol - Wa
Box   11 Folder   5	Wea - Wey
Box   11 Folder   6	Wh - Wil
Box   11 Folder   7	Wim - Wy
Box   11 Folder   8	Ya - Za
Box   11 Folder   9	Zb - Zy
	Congressional Subject Files
Box   12 Folder   1	Agriculture
Box   12 Folder   2	Area Redevelopment
Box   12 Folder   3	Beloit
Box   12 Folder   4	Blind
Box   12 Folder   5	Bloom, Ralph (Home Secretary for Kenosha County)
Box   12 Folder   6	Bong
Box   12 Folder   7	“Buy European”
Box   12 Folder   8	Capitol Calendar
Box   12 Folder   9	Comande, Nick (Home Secretary for Racine County)
Box   12 Folder   10	Conservation
Box   12 Folder   11	Corbin, Paul (Home Secretary for Rock County)
Box   12 Folder   12	Dwyer, John J. (East TroyT-Walworth County Construction in 1960)
Box   12 Folder   13	Economics
Box   12 Folder   14	Education
Box   12 Folder   15	Employment
Box   12 Folder   16	Equal Rights for Women
Box   12 Folder   17	Faith, Peter J.
Box   12 Folder   18	Federal Credit Union Act
Box   12 Folder   19	Federal Reserve Act--Support of Bonds at 4 1/4%
Box   12 Folder   20	Foreign Affairs
Box   13 Folder   1	Guest List
Box   13 Folder   2	Holidays
Box   13 Folder   3	Kenosha Bridge and Harbor
Box   13 Folder   4	Labor
Box   13 Folder   5	Lake Michigan Water Diversion Legislation
Box   13 Folder   5	Lehner, Alvin F.
Box   13 Folder   7	MacWhyte
Box   13 Folder   8	Mailing List
Box   13 Folder   9	Menominee Indian Tribe--Termination of Federal Supervision Over Their Affairs
Box   13 Folder   10	Milk
Box   13 Folder   11	National Cultural Center
Box   13 Folder   12	National Debt
Box   13 Folder   13-14	News Releases, 1959-1960
Box   14 Folder   1	Obscene Mail
Box   14 Folder   2	Railroad Retirement Tax Act
Box   14 Folder   3	Simmons
Box   14 Folder   4-5	Swiss Cheese, Prices and Foreign Competition
Box   14 Folder   6	T
Box   14 Folder   7	U
Box   14 Folder   8	Unemployment Reinsurance Act
Box   14 Folder   9	Union Grove Drain Tile Company
Box   14 Folder   10	Veterans
Box   14 Folder   11	Voss, John (Home Secretary for Walworth County)