Edward J. Gardner
Encyclopedia
Edward Joseph Gardner was a member of the United States House of Representatives
from Ohio’s third congressional district
.
, the son of Edward Gardner and his wife Mary. His father came from Ireland
as a child; his mother was born in Ohio
. Edward Gardner attended the local parochial schools and was graduated from the College of Commerce and Finance of St. Xavier University
in 1920. Edward did graduate work at Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania
at Philadelphia and at the University of Cincinnati
.
During the First World War, Edward Gardner served as a private in the United States Army
in 1918.
After the war, Edward Gardner took a job as district controller
of a food distributing company at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
for four years and then worked as a public accountant
at Hamilton, Ohio, from 1924 until his death in 1950.
In 1926, Edward J. Gardner was elected to the Hamilton city council serving as president and vice mayor
for two years. He was elected a member of the Ohio House of Representatives
in 1937 and again in 1941, serving two-year terms. In 1944, he was elected as a Democrat
to the Seventy-ninth Congress. During his campaign Edward J. Gardner told fellow Democrats that he would work honestly and ceaselessly for employment of returning servicemen. "We must make a positive determination that there shall be jobs and wages, that there should be security from unemployment, thereby setting a market for production," he said. During his term, he supported a temporary extension of wartime price controls
and the draft
and the right to strike
.
President Truman
's unpopularity overshadowed his reelection campaign in 1946 and he was defeated.
Returning to Hamilton, he continued his profession as a public accountant after his congressional service. Edward Joseph Gardner died in Hamilton and was interred in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Ohio’s third congressional district
Ohio's 3rd congressional district
Ohio's 3rd congressional district includes most of the city of Dayton and its surrounding suburbs and exurbs. It is currently represented by Representative Mike Turner.-List of representatives:-Selected election results:...
.
Biography
He was born in Hamilton, OhioHamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
, the son of Edward Gardner and his wife Mary. His father came from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
as a child; his mother was born in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Edward Gardner attended the local parochial schools and was graduated from the College of Commerce and Finance of St. Xavier University
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
in 1920. Edward did graduate work at Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
at Philadelphia and at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
.
During the First World War, Edward Gardner served as a private in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1918.
After the war, Edward Gardner took a job as district controller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
of a food distributing company at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
for four years and then worked as a public accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
at Hamilton, Ohio, from 1924 until his death in 1950.
In 1926, Edward J. Gardner was elected to the Hamilton city council serving as president and vice mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
for two years. He was elected a member of the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
in 1937 and again in 1941, serving two-year terms. In 1944, he was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Seventy-ninth Congress. During his campaign Edward J. Gardner told fellow Democrats that he would work honestly and ceaselessly for employment of returning servicemen. "We must make a positive determination that there shall be jobs and wages, that there should be security from unemployment, thereby setting a market for production," he said. During his term, he supported a temporary extension of wartime price controls
Office of Price Administration
The Office of Price Administration was established within the Office for Emergency Management of the United States government by Executive Order 8875 on August 28, 1941. The functions of the OPA was originally to control money and rents after the outbreak of World War II.President Franklin D...
and the draft
Selective Service Act
Selective Service Act may refer to:* Selective Service Act of 1917, or Selective Draft Act, which was passed by the Congress of the United States on May 18, 1917. It was for men to go to WWI at a young age....
and the right to strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
.
President Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
's unpopularity overshadowed his reelection campaign in 1946 and he was defeated.
Returning to Hamilton, he continued his profession as a public accountant after his congressional service. Edward Joseph Gardner died in Hamilton and was interred in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Sources
- "World War II – On The Home Front" Dayton Daily News (OH) October 9, 1994 page, 1B.
- Reston, James. "Cleveland a Democrat Bridgehead But Rest of Ohio Seems GOP Camp," New York Times, Oct 19, 1946, pg. 10.