David L. Lawrence (June 18, 1889 – November 21, 1966) was an American politician who held the position of the 37th governor of Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1963. He was the first Catholic to be elected as governor in Pennsylvania and also the only mayor of Pittsburgh to have been elected as governor. Lawrence served as mayor for four terms, spanning from 1946 to 1959. In 1993, a group of 69 scholars ranked him as the third best mayor in American history.
Childhood and Adolescence
Lawrence, born into a Catholic family in downtown Pittsburgh, came from a working-class background. However, due to financial limitations, he was unable to pursue higher education. Instead, he found employment as a clerk for William Brennan, a Pittsburgh attorney and leader of the Democratic party. Brennan, who was also a pioneer in the labor movement, became a close friend and mentor to the young Lawrence.
In 1916, Lawrence joined the insurance industry and two years later, he enlisted in the Army during World War I. He served as an officer in the adjutant general’s office located in Washington, D.C.
Politics in Pittsburgh
Upon his return from the army in 1919, Lawrence was chosen as the leader of the Democratic Party in Allegheny County. During this time, Pittsburgh was predominantly a Republican stronghold and the lower class and recent immigrants were the main supporters of the Democratic party due to their concentration in industrial jobs. With the assistance of Joe Guffey, who would later become a US Senator, Lawrence spearheaded the growth of the Pennsylvania Democratic party, which soon gained control over local and statewide politics. In the 1928 presidential election, Lawrence worked tirelessly for Alfred E. Smith, a fellow Irish Roman Catholic politician who had also risen from poverty without a formal education. The intense anti-Catholic campaign that led to Smith’s defeat profoundly affected Lawrence, who believed that being a Roman Catholic was a major disadvantage in US presidential politics. As a result, at the 1932 Democratic National Convention, Lawrence abandoned Smith’s presidential campaign and delivered the Pennsylvania delegation to Franklin D. Roosevelt solely due to his concerns about the impact of religion on the election.
In the year 1931, Lawrence ran for Allegheny County Commissioner but was unsuccessful. This defeat was one of his last, as the Republican party in Pittsburgh faced declining support due to the Great Depression and numerous scandals. Two years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Lawrence as the U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for Western Pennsylvania. In 1934, he played a key role in the election of George Earle as the first Democratic governor of Pennsylvania in the 20th century. Earle then appointed Lawrence as the Secretary of the Commonwealth. That same year, Lawrence also took on the role of state chairman for the Democratic Party.
The Mayor Of Pittsburgh
During the year 1945, Lawrence narrowly won the election for mayor of Pittsburgh. The city was notorious for its heavy pollution, causing such thick smog that streetlights had to be lit during the day. The industries had been working overtime during the war, worsening the air and water pollution. In his first days as mayor, Lawrence developed a plan with seven points for Pittsburgh, making him one of the first civic leaders to implement an exclusive urban renewal strategy. At that time, the city’s politics and business were still predominantly controlled by Republicans, requiring Lawrence to form alliances with both parties to achieve his goals. His most notable partnership was with Richard Mellon, a staunch Republican and the chairman of one of the largest banks in America. Despite their differing political views, both Mellon and Lawrence shared an interest in revitalizing Pittsburgh and were early advocates for environmental causes. This collaboration eventually led to what is known as the Pittsburgh Renaissance, later known as Renaissance I in the city’s history.
From 1950 to 1952, David L. Lawrence held the position of president at the United States Conference of Mayors.
According to a survey conducted in 1993 by Melvin G. Holli, which included historians, political scientists, and urban experts, Lawrence was ranked as the third-best mayor of a big city in America between the years 1820 and 1993.
Political landscape of Pennsylvania
Lawrence, who had served as mayor of Pittsburgh for an unprecedented four terms, was asked by Democrats to run for governor in the 1958 election. Despite initial hesitation due to his advanced age (close to 70), he eventually agreed to accept the party’s nomination. In a close race, he narrowly defeated Reading businessman Arthur McGonigle to become Pennsylvania’s 37th governor and the first Catholic to hold the position.
Throughout his term as governor, Lawrence implemented laws against discrimination and for protecting the environment. He also focused on expanding the library system and supported the preservation of historic sites. Additionally, Lawrence pushed for strict legislation on highway safety, which was influenced by the loss of his two sons in a car accident. However, his efforts to grow state bureaucracies resulted in budget deficits and higher taxes, causing dissatisfaction among fiscal conservatives.
Lawrence was one of the political leaders who helped establish the Finnegan Foundation in 1960. This foundation aims to provide practical training opportunities in government and politics to exceptional undergraduate students through ten-week paid internships in the state government in Harrisburg during the summer.
Politics at a National Level
Lawrence’s first experience at the Democratic National Convention was in 1912, where he worked as a page. From then on, he attended every subsequent convention until he passed away. He played a crucial role in the nominations of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932 and John F. Kennedy in 1960, earning him the nickname “maker of presidents”. In the weeks leading up to the 1948 Democratic National Convention, Lawrence was one of the few big city bosses who stood behind Harry S Truman’s efforts to secure the Presidential nomination.
During the 1948 Democratic Convention in Philadelphia, where Harry Truman was seeking the party’s presidential nomination with the support of Lawrence, there was a surprising move by Lawrence to sway the Pennsylvania delegation. This move surprised both liberals and conservatives as it shifted the delegation from the Administration’s more moderate civil rights plank to a more boldly liberal one. Lawrence is often recognized for his role in influencing John F. Kennedy to select Lyndon Johnson as his running mate in order to balance the ticket and resolve tensions between northern and southern Democrats.
During the 1958 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, Mayor Lawrence was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the Federal Communications Commission with the help of Senator George Smathers from Florida. The allegations involved the approval of a television license for WTAE-TV, which had a common ownership group with WPXI. Lawrence’s appearance at the U.S. House hearings was highly dramatic.
Life in Later Years
According to current state legislation, Lawrence was only able to serve one term before retiring from elected positions in 1963. Despite this, he remained involved in Democratic politics and held the position of Chairman of the President’s Committee on Equal Opportunities in Housing during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
Demise
On November 4, 1966, during a political event for governor candidate Milton Shapp at Pittsburgh’s Syria Mosque, Lawrence became sick and collapsed. He was taken to a nearby hospital but never regained consciousness and passed away 17 days later at the age of 77. Both President Johnson and Truman gave speeches in honor of his death. Funeral services were held on November 25, 1966 at St. Mary of Mercy Church in downtown Pittsburgh. The ceremony was attended by 2,000 people including Senator Robert F. Kennedy and mayors from several cities. A motorcade of 250 cars followed the hearse down the Boulevard of the Allies, across Grant Street, and up I-376 for the burial.
The final resting place of David L. Lawrence is located in Pittsburgh’s Calvary Cemetery. He was buried beside his two eldest sons, who had passed away many years earlier, and behind the plot of his close friend Harry Greb.
David Lawrence’s passing was attributed to the confined space and inadequate resuscitation equipment of the hearse ambulance that transported him to the hospital. This event sparked a movement for change and enhancement in the ambulance services in Pittsburgh and other cities throughout the United States.
Family
On April 19, 1942, Lawrence’s two oldest sons lost their lives in a car accident caused by joyriders on U.S. Route 19 near Zelienople, north of Pittsburgh. This information can be found in reference.
Gerald Lawrence, another son, went on to hold the position of Vice President and General Manager at Churchill Downs, the renowned racetrack located in Louisville, Kentucky.
Tom Donahoe, the grandson of David L. Lawrence, was the General Manager for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the hometown team, from 1991 to 1999. During his time as GM, he played a crucial role in taking the team to Super Bowl XXX. Following his tenure with the Steelers, Donahoe served as GM for the Buffalo Bills from 2001 to 2005.
Gerald “Jerry” Lawrence, a grandson of David Lawrence, held the position of Chair for the Southeast Caucus, which represents seven counties, in the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Accomplishments
Some notable buildings named after Lawrence are the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, the David Lawrence Hall at the University of Pittsburgh, Lawrence Hall in the Governor’s Quad at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Lawrence Hall at Point Park University. Additionally, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has honored Lawrence by naming two of its dormitories after him. The David L. Lawrence Library, later known as the David L. Lawrence Administration Center, was dedicated at La Salle University by Vice President Hubert Humphrey.
Election Records
The 1945 Pittsburgh mayoral election saw Democrat David Lawrence win with 52% of the votes against Republican Rob Waddell who received 47%. The 1949 election saw Lawrence win again with 60% of the votes against Republican Tim Ryan who received 39%. In the 1953 race, Lawrence once again emerged victorious with 62% of the votes, this time against Republican Leonard Patrick Kane who received 37%. The 1957 Pittsburgh mayoral election saw Lawrence win with 64% of the votes against Republican John Drew who received 35%. The 1958 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election also saw Lawrence win with 53% of the votes against Republican Arthur McGonigle who received 46%. All of these races are significant in the political history of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania.
