Summary
William Mercer Lennox (August 8, 1900 – October 7, 1991) was a Democratic politician from Philadelphia who served as sheriff from 1952 to 1972.
Formative years and family edit
Born in Philadelphia on August 8, 1900, William M. Lennox was a son of Robert Lennox and his wife, Theresa Howarth Lennox.[1] At the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served in the First World War.[2]
After the war, he worked as the business manager of athletics at the University of Pennsylvania.[3] In 1928, Lennox married Kathryn Kilgallen, with whom he had five children, Nancy, William, Jane, Mary Ellen and Benedict.[2]
Career edit
In 1950, Democratic ward leaders nominated Lennox for the Philadelphia City Council during a special election that followed the death of Charles E. O'Halloran.[2] He won and served the remained of the term, which ended in 1952.[3] In 1951, instead of running for another term on the council, Lennox ran for sheriff and won.[3] He was reelected in 1955, 1959, 1963, and 1967.[3]
After his fifth term, Lennox retired from office at the age of seventy-one, but remained active in the community, working as a volunteer at St. John's Hospice in Center City.[3]
Death edit
Lennox died on October 7, 1991.[3]
See also edit
- List of members of Philadelphia City Council from 1920 to 1952
- 1980 interview with Lennox
References edit
Sources edit
- "Pennsylvania, WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948". Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. March 19, 1934. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- "Lennox Will Run For Council Post". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 3, 1950. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Roche, Walter F. (October 8, 1991). "William M. Lennox, 91, sheriff from 1952-72, later hospice volunteer". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 7-B – via Newspapers.com.