Robert Owens Tiernan (February 24, 1929 – October 15, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician from Rhode Island. He served in the
Rhode Island State Senate
The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of w ...
and was a member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
.
Early life
Tiernan was born in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
and attended
La Salle Academy
}
La Salle Academy is an American private, Catholic all-boys' high school in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York.
The school is run by the Eastern North American District of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. ...
. He earned his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
from
Providence College
Providence College is a private Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the local diocese, it offers 47 undergraduate majors and 17 graduate programs.
It requires all of its undergraduat ...
in 1953 and his
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
from
Catholic University
Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical uni ...
Law School in 1956. He was
admitted to the bar
An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
in 1956 and began practicing law.
Political career
He began his political career as a
Democratic member of the Rhode Island State Senate in 1960 and served until 1967. In 1967, he was elected to the
Ninetieth Congress by special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
United States Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
John E. Fogarty
John Edward Fogarty (March 23, 1913 – January 10, 1967) was a Congressman from Rhode Island for 26 years. He was a member of the Democratic Party. John Edward Fogarty was influential in passing numerous legislations and acts. For his service he ...
. He was reelected to the
Ninety-first,
Ninety-second and
Ninety-third Congresses, serving from March 28, 1967 to January 3, 1975. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination to the
Ninety-fourth Congress in 1974.
From April 1975 to November 1981, he was a member of the
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
. He served as chairman of the Commission in 1980, and after leaving the Commission he resumed the practice of law in Providence.
Family life
Tiernan and his wife Dorothy A. Tiernan have three sons: Michael M. Tiernan, Robert O. Tiernan Jr., and Christopher P. Tiernan. His wife Dorothy died in 2001.
He was a resident of
South Kingstown, Rhode Island until his death on October 15, 2014 at the Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center in Providence, Rhode Island after a brief illness.
References
Further reading
*"Ralph Nader Congress Project. Citizens Look at Congress: Robert O. Tiernan, Democratic Representative from Rhode Island. Washington, D.C." by Grossman Publishers, 1972.
External links
Photo of Rhode Island Senator Robert Tiernan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tiernan, Robert Owens
1929 births
2014 deaths
20th-century American politicians
La Salle Academy alumni
Providence College alumni
Columbus School of Law alumni
Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island
People from South Kingstown, Rhode Island
People from Providence County, Rhode Island
People from Washington County, Rhode Island
Democratic Party Rhode Island state senators
Rhode Island lawyers
Members of the Federal Election Commission
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island
Lawyers from Providence, Rhode Island
Ford administration personnel
Carter administration personnel
Reagan administration personnel