Frank Lawler (June 25, 1842 – January 17, 1896) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Biography

Born in

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, Lawler attended public schools. He moved with his parents to

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

in 1854. He was a newsagent on a railroad for several years and also a brakeman. He learned the trade of shipbuilders. He was active in organizing trade and labor unions and served as president of the Ship Carpenters and Calkers' Association. He was employed in the Chicago post office as a letter carrier from 1869–1877. He served as a member of the

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

from 1876 to 1885. He engaged in business as a liquor merchant in 1878. Lawler was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Forty-ninth, Fiftieth, and Fifty-first Congresses (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1891). He was an unsuccessful candidate for sheriff of

Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40 percent of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. ...

in 1891. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1895 to the Fifty-fourth Congress. Lawler was again elected a member of the board of aldermen in 1896 and served until his death in Chicago at age 53. A Catholic, he was interred in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston.

References

1842 births 1896 deaths Chicago City Council members American trade union leaders Catholics from Illinois Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Evanston, Illinois) Illinois Democrats 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives {{Illinois-politician-stub