Representative John Burrwood Daly

John Burrwood Daly (February 13, 1872 – March 12, 1939) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who served as a Representative from Pennsylvania in the United States Congress from 1935 to 1941. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Irish immigrants, and spent his early life in that city, where he would later build his professional and political career.

Daly received his early education in Philadelphia and graduated from La Salle College High School in 1890. He continued his studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, from which he graduated in 1896. During this period he prepared for a career in law, reflecting both his academic interests and the opportunities available in a rapidly growing urban and industrial center.

After completing his university education, Daly studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1896. He opened a private law practice in Philadelphia, where he built his professional reputation over the ensuing decades. In addition to his work as a practicing attorney, he entered public service as assistant city solicitor of Philadelphia, a post he held from 1914 to 1922. Following his tenure in municipal government, he joined the faculty of La Salle College, serving there from 1923 to 1930, and contributing to the education of students in his native city.

Daly’s legal and academic experience provided the foundation for his entry into national politics. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-fourth, Seventy-fifth, and Seventy-sixth Congresses, representing Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives. His service in Congress began on January 3, 1935, and extended through a significant period in American history marked by the New Deal and the continuing effects of the Great Depression. During his three terms in office, John Burrwood Daly contributed to the legislative process, participated in the democratic governance of the nation, and represented the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents in the House of Representatives.

Daly remained in office until his death in Philadelphia on March 12, 1939, at the age of 67, while still serving in the Seventy-sixth Congress. His congressional service, which had commenced in 1935 and was intended to continue through his third term, was thus cut short by his death in office.