Thomas McEwing Duncan (March 5, 1893 – February 22, 1959) was an American clerical worker from Milwaukee who served three terms as a Socialist member of the Wisconsin State Assembly (1923–1928) and one term (1929–1932) as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate representing the Milwaukee-based 6th Senate district.

Background

Duncan was born in Wisconsin on March 5, 1893 and was educated in the Milwaukee Public Schools. He graduated from Yale University in 1915. After graduation he was employed in the bond department of the First Wisconsin Trust Company, and later in the consolidated bond department of the First Wisconsin National Bank. He served as Secretary to Milwaukee Mayor Daniel Hoan from April 1920 to January 1, 1925, and as a member of the Milwaukee Firemen's and Policemen's

Pension A pension (, from Latin ''pensiō'', "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments ...

Commission.

Legislative service

He was first elected to the Assembly in November 1922 without opposition to succeed fellow Socialist

Fred Hasley Fred J. Hasley (December 5, 1884 – April 4, 1939) was an American typesetter from Milwaukee who served one term as a Socialist member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Background Hasley was born in Milwaukee on December 5, 1884 and was ...

. to represent the Fourth

Milwaukee County Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...

Assembly district (the 21st ward of the City of Milwaukee). Duncan was responsible for the 1930 introduction and passage of the partial veto into the Wisconsin state constitution, considered "the most extensive" veto power that has been "given to any state executive." He was considered less doctrinaire than Congressman

Victor Berger Victor Luitpold Berger (February 28, 1860August 7, 1929) was an Austrian–American socialist politician and journalist who was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of America and its successor, the Socialist Party of America. Born in ...

, and at one time was discussed as a potential progressive candidate for

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

under some form of

Progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

/ Socialist

fusion ticket Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate. It is distinct from the process of electoral alliances in that the political parties remain separa ...

. He acted as

executive secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...

to Governor

Philip La Follette Philip Fox La Follette (May 8, 1897August 18, 1965) was an American politician. He was the List of Governors of Wisconsin, 27th and List of Governors of Wisconsin, 29th Governor of Wisconsin, as well as one of the founders of the Wisconsin Progre ...

, and was asserted to have (unsuccessfully) led efforts to lure Socialists into the La Follette camp. He did not seek re-election to the Senate in 1932; Socialist Assemblyman George Hampel was nominated to succeed Duncan in the 6th District,"Senate Power Given Kohler If He Goes In", '' Manitowoc Herald-Times'' September 23, 1932; p. 6, col. 3 but was defeated by a Democrat in the 1932 Democratic landslide.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, Thomas M. Clerks Politicians from Milwaukee Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin state senators Socialist Party of America politicians from Wisconsin Yale University alumni 1893 births 1959 deaths 20th-century American legislators 20th-century Wisconsin politicians