Representative Herbert Joseph McGlinchey

Herbert Joseph McGlinchey (November 7, 1904 – June 25, 1992) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania’s 6th congressional district from 1945 to 1947 and later as a member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 5th district from 1965 to 1972. Over the course of his public career, he held a series of state and federal positions that reflected his long-standing involvement in Democratic Party politics and public administration in Pennsylvania.

McGlinchey was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 7, 1904. Details of his early family life and formal education are not extensively documented in public sources, but his subsequent professional and political activities indicate an early engagement with labor, industry, and party affairs in the Philadelphia region. Before entering elective office, he established himself in the private sector and in state-related work, gaining experience that would inform his later legislative service.

Prior to his tenure in Congress, McGlinchey worked as a manufacturers’ agent and served as supervisor of labor and industry for the eastern district of Pennsylvania from 1935 to 1937. In this capacity, he was involved in oversight and coordination related to labor and industrial matters during a period marked by New Deal–era economic and regulatory changes. His growing prominence within the Democratic Party was underscored by his role as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1936, where he participated in the party’s national deliberations during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration.

McGlinchey was elected as a Democrat to the 79th Congress and served as a Representative from Pennsylvania in the United States Congress from January 3, 1945, to January 3, 1947. Representing Pennsylvania’s 6th congressional district, he served one term in office during the closing months of World War II and the beginning of the postwar era, a significant period in American history marked by demobilization, veterans’ issues, and the initial stages of international reconstruction. As a member of the House of Representatives, Herbert Joseph McGlinchey contributed to the legislative process, participated in the democratic governance of the nation, and represented the interests of his constituents in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Following his single term in Congress, McGlinchey remained active in electoral politics. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the House in 1946 and again sought a seat in Congress in 1948 and 1956, but was not returned to federal office. Despite these defeats, he continued to serve in important state-level roles. From 1957 to 1963, he was a member of the Pennsylvania Tax Equalization Board, where he took part in the oversight and standardization of property tax assessments across the Commonwealth, a function central to the equitable administration of local and state taxation.

McGlinchey’s state legislative career reached its peak with his election to the Pennsylvania Senate. He served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 5th district from 1965 to 1972. During these years, he participated in state legislative deliberations at a time when Pennsylvania, like many states, was addressing issues of urban development, education, taxation, and governmental reform. His service in the Senate extended his influence in public policy well beyond his earlier federal tenure and reflected his sustained commitment to representing the interests of his district within the broader framework of state government.

Herbert Joseph McGlinchey died on June 25, 1992. His career encompassed roles in both federal and state government, as well as party and administrative positions, marking him as a long-serving Democratic figure in mid‑twentieth‑century Pennsylvania politics.