Martin Patrick Durkin

For the television director of the same name, see Martin Durkin (television director).

The official portrait of Martin P. Durkin hangs in the Department of Labor

Martin Patrick Durkin (March 18, 1894 – November 13, 1955) was a U.S. administrator. He served as Secretary of Labor from January 21, 1953 to September 10, 1953, where he was the "plumber" of President Dwight Eisenhower's "Nine Millionaires and a Plumber" cabinet. A Democrat among Republicans, he unsuccessfully pushed for revisions in the Taft-Hartley Act. This led to his resignation after less than eight months in office, the shortest tenure of any Secretary of Labor.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and at the age of 17 became involved in the plumbers' and pipe fitters' union. He eventually became president of that union, and then served as Director of Labor for the State of Illinois from 1933 to 1941, during which time he worked closely with President Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins.

He died in Washington D.C. and is buried in Evergreen Park, Illinois.

See also

• List of U.S. political appointments that crossed party lines

External links

• Department of Labor biography
• Department of Labor history of Eisenhower years

Political offices
Preceded by Maurice J. Tobin	U.S. Secretary of Labor Served under: Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953	Succeeded by James P. Mitchell