|
| death_place = Manhattan, New York, United States | resting_place = St. Michaels Cemetery, Springfield, Massachusetts, United States | party = Democratic | spouse = Elva O'Brien | children = Lawrence Francis O'Brien, III | alma_mater = Western New England University (Formerly the Springfield Division of Northeastern University) | profession = Politician Sports administrator | religion = Roman Catholicism | signature = }} Lawrence Francis "Larry" O'Brien, Jr. (July 7, 1917September 28, 1990) was one of the United States Democratic Party's leading electoral strategists for more than two decades. He served as Postmaster General in the cabinet of President Lyndon Johnson. He also served as commissioner of the National Basketball Association from 1975 to 1984. The NBA Championship Trophy is named after him. O'Brien, son of Irish immigrants, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. When he was not working in politics, O'Brien managed his family's real estate and worked in public relations. ==Early life and politics== O'Brien was born on July 7, 1917, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He learned about politics at a young age. His father, a local leader of the Democratic Party, recruited him at 11 years old to serve locally as a volunteer in the 1928 presidential campaign of Al Smith. O'Brien became a passionate Democrat. He earned a bachelor's degree in law in 1942 at the Northeastern University - Springfield Division, now known as the Western New England University School of Law. O'Brien was married to the former Elva Brassard in 1945. They had one son, Lawrence F. O'Brien III, who became a lobbyist. He was appointed in 1946, 1948, and 1950 by his friend Foster Furcolo to serve locally as the director of the U.S. House of Representatives election campaigns. O'Brien was appointed in 1952 by John F. Kennedy to serve in Massachusetts as the director of his successful U.S. Senate election campaign and, in 1958, to serve in Massachusetts as the director of his successful reelection campaign. Kennedy's elections were largely attributed to O'Brien's recruitment, his use of volunteers, and his development of a statewide election campaign. In 1959, he built the foundation for Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign by touring the United States. O'Brien was appointed in 1960 by Kennedy to serve nationally as the director of his presidential campaign. His election planning in key primary states such as Wisconsin and West Virginia convinced many in the party that Kennedy's Catholicism was not a problem. O'Brien developed a new presidential-campaign strategy for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) which became the standard for both parties. He collected information about each convention delegate and alternate delegate, and communicated frequently with each delegate's liaisons. O'Brien was appointed in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to serve nationally as the director of his presidential campaign. In 1968, Vice President Hubert Humphrey appointed O'Brien to serve nationally as the director of his presidential campaign and by Howard Hughes to serve in Washington as his public-policy lobbyist. Committed to the principle that political parties are fundamental to the American political process, O'Brien was elected in 1968 and in 1970 by the DNC to serve as its national chairman. John H. Meier, a former business advisor to Hughes, collaborated with Humphrey and others to use Donald Nixon to feed misinformation to his brother, the President. According to Meier, he told Donald that he was sure the Democrats would win the election since they had a lot of information on Richard Nixon’s illicit dealings with Howard Hughes that had never been released, and that O’Brien had the information.〔DuBois, Larry, and Laurence Gonzales (September 1976).''Hughes Nixon and the C.I.A.: The Watergate Conspiracy Woodward and Bernstein Missed''.Playboy.〕 (O’Brien didn’t actually have any documents, but Meier wanted Richard Nixon to think he did.) Donald then called his brother and told him that Meier gave the Democrats all the Hughes information that could destroy him (Richard Nixon) and that O’Brien had it.〔Bellett, Gerald (1995). ''Age of Secrets: The Conspiracy that Toppled Richard Nixon and the Hidden Death of Howard Hughes''. Voyageur North America. ISBN 0-921842-42-2〕 During the 1972 presidential election, O'Brien was the top advisor to George McGovern. During the Thomas Eagleton affair, his name was mentioned as the possible Vice-Presidential from replacement. This position later went to Sargent Shriver. On June 17, 1972 O'Brien's office in the Watergate complex was broken into. The Watergate scandal that followed ultimately led to the resignation of President Nixon. The DNC Lawrence O'Brien Award was created in 1992 by his family and the Democratic Party leaders to acknowledge the many years of service he gave to the party and his belief in the importance of volunteer contribution. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Larry O'Brien」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|