John T. McKennan

John T. McKennan (November 25, 1918 – November 28, 2011) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.

Life

He was born on November 25, 1918, in Utica, Oneida County, New York, the son of John P. McKennan and Rena Dowd McKennan. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes School, Utica Free Academy and Scarborough Day School. He graduated from Syracuse University and Albany Law School.^[1] During World War II he served in the U.S. armed forces. After the war he practiced law with a firm in New York City until 1947 when he returned to Utica.

He entered politics as a Democrat, and was Assistant Corporation Counsel of Utica; Counsel to the Municipal Water Works of Utica; and a member of the New York State Senate (41st D.) in 1949 and 1950.

On May 7, 1955, he married Marguerite Gallagher, and they had three sons. He was Mayor of Utica from 1956 to 1959. In November 1959, he ran in the election for City Judge of Utica, but was defeated by Matthew S. Ogonowski Sr.^[2]

He was Clerk of the New York State Assembly from February 9, 1965, to January 8, 1969, officiating in the 175th, 176th and 177th New York State Legislatures. He was also Secretary of the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1967.

In March 1982, McKennan was appointed to the New York Supreme Court (5th D.), to fill the vacancy caused by the appointment of Richard J. Cardamone to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.^[3] In November 1982, McKennan ran for a full term, but was defeated, and left the bench at the end of the year.

He died on November 28, 2011, in New Hartford, New York; and was buried at the St. Bernards Cemetery in Waterville.^[4]

References

1. New York Red Book (1968–1969; pg. 260)
2. Utica Says Good-by to Fifties, Hello to Sixties; ...NOVEMBER — 3... in The Daily Press, of Utica, on January 1, 1960
3. Carey picks McKennan for Supreme Court judge in The Daily Press, of Utica, on March 31, 1982
4. John T. McKennan, obituary in the Observer-Dispatch, of Utica, on November 30, 2011; at Legacy.com