Representative Michael Joseph Stack

Michael Joseph Stack (September 29, 1888 – December 14, 1960) was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, serving two terms in Congress from 1935 to 1939. Over the course of his public career, he represented the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history and contributed to the legislative process in the Seventy-fourth and Seventy-fifth Congresses. His legacy in public service extended to a later generation; his grandson is former Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Michael J. Stack III.

Stack was born on September 29, 1888, in Listowel, County Kerry, on the island of Ireland, which at that time formed part of the United Kingdom. He immigrated to the United States in 1903 as a young man and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city with a large and growing Irish-American community. His early years in the United States were marked by a commitment to education and advancement, reflecting the aspirations of many immigrants of his era.

In Philadelphia, Stack attended St. Joseph’s College, pursuing studies that prepared him for professional and civic life. He later continued his education at St. Mary’s University in Baltimore, Maryland, from which he graduated in 1910. Following his graduation, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he was employed by a railroad company from 1910 to 1917. This period in the transportation industry provided him with practical experience in business and labor conditions during a time of rapid industrial growth in the United States.

With the entry of the United States into the First World War, Stack entered military service. He enlisted on July 17, 1917, as a private in the Medical Detachment of the 360th Infantry. His service in the medical detachment placed him in a support role critical to the care and welfare of soldiers during the conflict. After the conclusion of the war, he returned to civilian life and settled again in Philadelphia, where he became engaged in the real estate business. His work in real estate established him as a local businessman and provided a foundation for his subsequent involvement in politics.

Stack’s political career reached its height with his election as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to the Seventy-fourth Congress and reelected to the Seventy-fifth Congress, serving from 1935 to 1939. During these two terms, he represented a Pennsylvania district in the House of Representatives at the height of the New Deal era, participating in the democratic process and contributing to national legislative deliberations at a time of economic recovery and social reform. As a member of the Democratic Party, he aligned with the majority that supported many of the policies advanced during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1938, Stack sought to continue his congressional career but was unsuccessful in his bid for renomination as a Democrat. In the same election cycle, he also ran unsuccessfully for reelection as a Royal Oak candidate, marking the end of his tenure in Congress. Following these defeats, he returned to private life and resumed his activities in the real estate business in Philadelphia, maintaining his ties to the community in which he had long lived and worked.

Michael Joseph Stack died in Philadelphia on December 14, 1960. He was interred in St. Denis Cemetery in Havertown, Pennsylvania. His life traced a path from immigrant beginnings in Ireland to national office in the United States, and his family’s continued involvement in Pennsylvania politics underscored the enduring impact of his public service.