John Joseph Phelan (June 24, 1851 – November 6, 1936) was an American politician who served

Secretary of the State of Connecticut The secretary of the State of Connecticut is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (The definite article is part of the legal job title.) It is an elected position in the state government and has a term length of four ...

, coroner of

Fairfield County, Connecticut Fairfield County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 957, ...

, and was a member of the

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with ...

. He was also the second Supreme Knight of the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

Early life and education

Phelan was born to Michael and Catherine (White) Phelan in County Wexford on June 24, 1851. He graduated from the Wexford Christian Brothers' School in 1865 and worked for his father's granite business. He and his father immigrated to the United States in 1870 and worked as a marble and granite cutter. He began studying law in 1874 and began practicing following his graduation from the

New York University School of Law New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in N ...

in 1878. On December 25, 1879 he married Annie D. Fitzgerald. They remained married until her death in 1929.

Political career

Phelan began his political career in 1880 as a member of the

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

Board of Aldermen. He was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1884. In 1896 he was the Democratic nominee for Speaker of the House. He became the Bridgeport city attorney in 1889. He was the Democratic nominee for Secretary of the State in 1890, however electoral challenges and a legislative deadlock prevented him from being seated. He was elected two years later and served from 1893 to 1895.

Knights of Columbus

Phelan was not a founding member of the Knights. He joined the group in 1885. At the beginning of Phelan's leadership in 1886, there were just thirty-eight councils with about 2,700 members. After his time in office ended in 1897, there were 210 councils and nearly 17,000 members located in ten states. Phelan also served as chairman of the Connection delegation to the Catholic Congress and president of the Bridgeport chapter of the

Irish National Land League The Irish National Land League (Irish: ''Conradh na Talún'') was an Irish political organisation of the late 19th century which sought to help poor tenant farmers. Its primary aim was to abolish landlordism in Ireland and enable tenant farmer ...

. In 1925 he was made a Knight of the

Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

by Pope Pope Pius XI.

Later life

From 1909 to 1912 Phelan was a member a member of the Bridgeport board of appointment. In 1912 he was appointed coroner of Fairfield County. He held the office until his death on November 6, 1936.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phelan, John J. 1851 births 1936 deaths American coroners American Roman Catholics Connecticut lawyers Irish emigrants to the United States Democratic Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives New York University School of Law alumni People from County Wexford Politicians from Bridgeport, Connecticut Secretaries of the State of Connecticut Supreme Knights of the Knights of Columbus