Biography

01/06/1838 - 04/19/1912

William McAleer (D2) Philadelphia County, 1886-1890

Early Life: 

William McAleer, born January 6, 1838, County Tyrone, Ireland; immigrated, United States, parents, settled Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1851; attended public and private schools; partner, father, brothers, John McAleer and Sons, flour merchants, 1861; member, Philadelphia Common Council 1871-1873; president, Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick; member, board of guardians of the poor 1873-1898, vice president, president; member, Commercial Exchange, director, vice president, and president of the same; director of the Chamber of Commerce, 1880; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate 1886-1890; elected, Democrat, Fifty-second Congress, reelected, Independent Democrat, Fifty-third Congress (March 4, 1891-March 3, 1895); unsuccessful candidate, renomination, 1894; elected, Democrat, Fifty-fifth and Fifty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1897-March 3, 1901); unsuccessful candidate, reelection, 1900, Fifty-seventh Congress; resumed business activities, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; married, Margaret Josephine Mooney, 2 sons, William McAleer Jr. and Joseph Leo McAleer; died, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 19, 1912 (age 74 years, 104 days), interment, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Early Career:

Immigrated, United States, parents, settled Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1851.  

Partner, father brothers, John McAleer & Sons, flour merchants, 1861.

President, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

Elected, Philadelphia Common Council, (lower house of the city council at the time) 1870; not renominated, second term, appointed, Board of Guardians of the Poor; 1873-1898, vice president, president; member, Commercial Exchange, director, vice president, president; director, Chamber of Commerce, 1880, president, Frist District Charity Organization, 1886.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, Southwark Literary Society; director, Mechanic Institute; vice president, president, Saint Phillips’ Literary Institute.  

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 2nd Senate district, Philadelphia County, 1886-1890, member Appropriations, Finance, Legislative Apportionment and Railroads Committees.    

Elected, Democrat, Fifty-second Congress, reelected, Independent Democrat, Fifty-third Congress (March 4, 1891-March 3, 1895); unsuccessful candidate, renomination, 1894; elected, Democrat, Fifty-fifth and Fifty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1897-March 3, 1901); unsuccessful candidate, reelection, 1900, Fifty-seventh Congress.  

Federal Judiciary Biography:

https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/M000294

Cited:

Smull’s Legislative Hand Book, (1890) Cochran, T.B., Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 658, 678, 693-695.