Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.

Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr. (August 1, 1903–August 23, 1987) was an American politician who was a U.S. Representative from the third district of Maryland.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, D'Alesandro attended Calvert Business College in Baltimore. Before beginning his political career, he worked as a broker and in insurance, a career he returned to after his political service.

A Democrat, D'Alesandro served as a member of the Maryland State House of Delegates from 1926 to 1933. After serving in Annapolis, D'Alesandro was then appointed as General Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, a post in which he served during 1933–1934. He then was elected to serve on the Baltimore City Council from 1935 to 1938.

D'Alesandro was then elected to the 76th Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1939, until he resigned on May 16, 1947. Following his service in Congress he was Mayor of Baltimore for 12 years from May 1947 to May 1959. He was defeated for renomination by the Democrats in the March primary election in 1958. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1958.

D'Alesandro was a delegate to every Democratic National Convention from 1944 to 1968 and also served on the Federal Renegotiation Board from 1961 to 1969 before retiring from political life.

D'Alesandro lived in Baltimore until his death there in 1987.

His daughter, Nancy Pelosi, is a Representative from California, who served as the the House of RepresentativesHouse Minority Leader between 2003 and 2006, and became the Speaker of the House on January 4, 2007. D'Alesandro's son, Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro III, also served as Mayor of Baltimore from 1967 to 1971.

References

• United States Congress. "Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. (id: D000007)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.