Representative De Witt Clinton Flanagan

De Witt Clinton Flanagan (December 28, 1870, New York City – January 15, 1946, Utica, New York) was an American businessman and Democratic Party politician from New Jersey who briefly represented the state’s 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1902 to 1903. Born in New York City, he was educated in private institutions, attending the Callison and Woodbridge schools before pursuing higher education at Columbia College. These early academic experiences provided him with the foundation for a career that combined business interests with public service.

After completing his studies, Flanagan pursued a commercial career and developed interests in a number of industrial enterprises. He became known as a businessman whose activities extended beyond a single field, reflecting the broader economic expansion of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His growing prominence in business and civic affairs helped to position him for entry into Democratic Party politics in New Jersey, where he established his political base despite his New York origins.

Flanagan’s formal political career at the national level began when he was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Joshua S. Salmon. He represented New Jersey’s 4th congressional district and served from June 18, 1902, to March 3, 1903. His tenure in Congress thus fell within a significant period in American history marked by industrial growth and the early stirrings of the Progressive Era. During his single term in office, Flanagan participated in the legislative process as a member of the House of Representatives, contributing to debates and decisions and representing the interests of his New Jersey constituents. In broader terms, his service from 1901 to 1903 placed him among the Democratic lawmakers who sought to influence national policy at the turn of the century.

Although his time in Congress was brief, Flanagan remained active in Democratic Party affairs after leaving office. He served as a delegate to the 1904 Democratic National Convention, reflecting his continued engagement with national politics and party organization. His post-congressional activities demonstrated an ongoing commitment to public life, even as he returned his primary focus to business and development projects.

In the years following his congressional service, Flanagan expanded his business and civic endeavors. Together with financier August Belmont, he was one of the organizers of the Boston, Cape Cod & New York Canal Company, which built and operated the Cape Cod Canal, a major infrastructure project that provided a navigable waterway across Cape Cod in Massachusetts. In addition to this transportation enterprise, he engaged in the agricultural and civic development of Baldwin County, Alabama, contributing to efforts to improve the region’s economic prospects and community life. These undertakings underscored his role not only as a businessman but also as a promoter of regional development.

De Witt Clinton Flanagan died in Utica, New York, on January 15, 1946. He was interred in the family mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. His life encompassed business leadership, a brief but notable period of congressional service for New Jersey’s 4th district, and continued involvement in Democratic Party politics and regional development projects in both the Northeast and the South.