Representative Thomas Francis Magner

Thomas Francis Magner (March 8, 1860 – December 22, 1945) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1889 to 1895. A member of the Democratic Party, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his constituents in the United States House of Representatives. He was an uncle of John Francis Carew, who also later served in Congress.

Magner was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 8, 1860. He attended the public schools of Brooklyn and continued his education at St. Xavier College, from which he graduated in 1880. He then pursued further studies at Columbia University in New York City, graduating in 1882. Following his formal education, Magner worked as a public school teacher in Brooklyn, an early professional experience that preceded his entry into the legal and political fields.

While teaching, Magner studied law and prepared for admission to the bar. He was admitted to the bar in 1883 and immediately commenced the practice of law in Brooklyn, New York. Establishing himself as a practicing attorney, he became active in local affairs and the Democratic Party, building the professional and political reputation that would soon lead him into elective office.

Magner’s first significant public office was in the New York State Assembly, where he served as a member representing Kings County’s 6th District in 1888. His service in the Assembly provided him with legislative experience and visibility within state and party circles, positioning him for higher office at the national level.

In 1888, Magner was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-first Congress and subsequently reelected to the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses. He held office as a U.S. Representative from New York from March 4, 1889, to March 3, 1895. During these three consecutive terms in Congress, he participated in the democratic process at the federal level and contributed to the legislative deliberations of an era marked by economic change, industrial expansion, and significant national debates over tariff policy, monetary issues, and labor conditions. Throughout his tenure, he represented his New York constituents in the House of Representatives and took part in shaping national policy during this important period.

After leaving Congress in 1895, Magner resumed the practice of law in Brooklyn, continuing his legal career. He remained engaged in public service through his legal expertise and, from 1913 to 1917, served as corporation counsel of the Borough of Brooklyn. In this capacity, he acted as the chief legal officer for the borough, advising municipal authorities and representing Brooklyn’s interests in legal matters during the early years following the consolidation of New York City.

Thomas Francis Magner spent his later years in Brooklyn, where he had been born and where he had built his legal and political career. After a long illness, he died at the Hotel Bossert in Brooklyn, New York, on December 22, 1945. He was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery, bringing to a close a life closely associated with the civic, legal, and political life of his native city and state.