Representative Joseph Aloysius Conry

Joseph Aloysius Conry (September 12, 1868 – June 22, 1943) was an American politician, attorney, and public official who served as a United States Representative from Massachusetts from 1901 to 1903. A member of the Democratic Party, he gained national attention for his reformist views during his single term in Congress and remained a popular public speaker and writer even after subsequent electoral defeats. Over the course of his career he held municipal office in Boston, served as director of the Port of Boston, and later represented the Russian Empire in the United States as consul.

Conry was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on September 12, 1868. He attended the common schools and pursued legal studies, ultimately being admitted to the bar. After his admission, he commenced the practice of law in Boston, Massachusetts. His legal training and early professional experience in Boston provided the foundation for his later work in municipal government, national politics, and international service.

Conry’s public career began in Boston city government. He served as a member of the Boston Common Council from Ward 2 from 1895 through 1897. Demonstrating early leadership, he was elected president of the Common Council in both 1896 and 1897. In 1898 he advanced to the Boston Board of Aldermen, where he served as chairman of the board. These municipal posts established his reputation as an energetic reform-minded Democrat and helped propel him onto the state and national political stage.

Conry was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives for the Fifty-seventh Congress, serving from March 4, 1901, to March 3, 1903. During this single term in the House of Representatives, he participated in the legislative process at a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his Massachusetts constituents and contributing to the broader democratic process. Although he served only one term, he received national attention for his reformist positions and advocacy. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1902 to the Fifty-eighth Congress and subsequently resumed the practice of law in Boston. In 1908 he again sought a seat in Congress from Massachusetts’s 9th congressional district, but was unsuccessful both in the Democratic primary and later in the general election as an independent candidate, losing in each contest to John A. Keliher. Despite these defeats, he remained a well-known and popular speaker and writer on public affairs.

In addition to his legal and political work, Conry held significant administrative and diplomatic posts. He served as director of the Port of Boston from 1911 to 1916, overseeing one of New England’s principal maritime facilities during a period of expanding commercial activity. In September 1912 he was recognized as consul of Russia in the United States, a position he held until 1919. In this capacity he represented Russian interests during the final years of the Russian Empire and the tumult of World War I. For his services he was decorated by Czar Nicholas II and made a member of the Knights of St. Anne, reflecting the high regard in which he was held by the imperial government.

In the later phase of his career, Conry continued to combine legal practice with public service at the federal level. He served as a special attorney for the United States Maritime Commission in Washington, D.C., in 1938 and 1939, contributing his expertise in maritime and port affairs to the work of the commission. After this appointment he remained in Washington, where he continued to practice law. Joseph Aloysius Conry died at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 1943. He was interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C., closing a career that spanned municipal, congressional, and international service.