Walter Lynch
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York
In office
February 20, 1940 – January 3, 1951
Preceded byEdward W. Curley
Succeeded bySidney A. Fine
Constituency22nd district (1940–1945)
23rd district (1945–1951)
Personal details
Born(1894-07-07)July 7, 1894
New York City, U.S.
DiedSeptember 10, 1957(1957-09-10) (aged 63)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeGate of Heaven Cemetery
Hawthorne, New York, U.S.
Alma materFordham University (BA, LLB)

Walter Aloysius Lynch (July 7, 1894 – September 10, 1957) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. From 1940 to 1951, he served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat.

Early life

Lynch attended Fordham Preparatory School and subsequently graduated from Fordham University in 1915, followed by Fordham Law School in 1918, afterwards practicing law in New York City.

Career

Lynch served as a temporary New York City magistrate in 1930. He was a delegate to New York's state constitutional convention in 1938.

Congressman

He was first elected to the 76th United States Congress in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Edward W. Curley, and was re-elected to the 77th, 78th, 79th, 80th, and 81st U.S. Congresses, in total serving from February 20, 1940, to January 3, 1951.

Lynch was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1944 and 1948.

Candidate for governor

In 1950, Lynch was the Democratic nominee for governor of New York, but was defeated in a landslide by incumbent Thomas E. Dewey.

Later career

In 1952, Lynch served as chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee. Lynch was elected to the New York Supreme Court in 1954, and served from January 1955 until his death.

Family

Lynch married Claire Rosemary Mitchell (1895–1985) in 1920. They were the parents of sons Walter A. Lynch Jr. (1921–2017) and John Joseph Lynch (1928–1995).

Death and burial

Lynch died at his summer home in Belle Harbor, Queens. He was buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.

Sources

U.S. House of Representatives Preceded byEdward W. Curley Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 22nd congressional district 1940–1945 Succeeded byAdam Clayton Powell Jr. Preceded byCharles A. Buckley Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 23rd congressional district 1945–1951 Succeeded bySidney A. Fine Party political offices Preceded byJames M. Mead Democratic Nominee for Governor of New York 1950 Succeeded byW. Averell Harriman
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