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Court of Common Council, and for seven
years was president of the Board of Al-
dermen, displaying true executive abil-
ity. Previous to the consolidation of the
town and city of Hartford, he was an
auditor of town accounts. The time when
the zeal and true ability of the man was
displayed was in his work as chairman
of the Republican town committee, an
office he held for upwards of twenty
years. He was instrumental in bringing
in new members through his rare tact
and naturally persuasive manner. During
his administration Hartford was
transformed into a Republican strong-
hold and made possible the placing of
Connecticut in the column of Republican
States. It was an impossibility for his
opponents to overcome the clear, sensible
and logical methods of Mr. McGovern.
The constituents of Mr. McGovern
fully realized the worth he would be in
representing them in the General Assem-
bly, and in 1905 he was elected from the
Second Senatorial District by a large ma-
jority and was again reelected at the ex-
piration of his term, serving until 1908.
He was chairman of the committee on
insurance, rendering efficient service.
During the session of 1907 he earned a
name and brought fame to himself in his
excellent work as chairman of the committee
on appropriations. At that time
this was the most important committee
of the entire legislative body and much
credit is due to Senator McGovern for
his origination of the plans that proved
to be the most practicable. It was this
committee that recommended appropria-
tions for good roads for six years of ap-
proximately one million dollars a year,
also the erection of the Armory and State
Library buildings and the fire proofing of
the Capitol building. During Mr. Mc-
Govern's term as Senator, no bid or reso-
lution offered by him as chairman of his
committee failed of passage. It is a
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
253
remarkable record of successful achievements.
On May 13, 1918, he was nominated
by Mayor Kinsella to the Board
of Street Commissioners, of Hartford, for
a three-year term. Fraternally he is a
member of Hartford Lodge, Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks. He possesses
a most genial and pleasant manner,
and has many friends among the leading
residents of Hartford who thoroughly
appreciate his sterling qualities and
esteem him for his frankness and cour-
age. Senator McGovern married, October
15, 1912, Julia P. Kinghorn.
LUDDY, Michael Gabriel,
Attorney-at-Law.
Michael Gabriel Luddy, one of the ris-
ing young attorneys of Hartford, Con-
necticut, is an American by birth, but of
Irish parentage, and is a son of James
Luddy, an Irish patriot, who came to this
country, settling at Bridgeport, Connecticut,
and here married Mary Maloney,
who was also born in Ireland, about 1892.
They afterwards removed to Thompsonville,
Connecticut. Mr. Luddy. Sr., was
a native of County Clare, Ireland, and
was a brass worker by trade.
Born March 19, 1893, at Bridgeport.
Connecticut, Michael Gabriel Luddy accompanied
his parents to Thompsonville
in that State when one year of age, so
that his earliest associations were formed
in this place. It was here also that he
received the elementary portion of his
education, attending for this purpose the
public schools. He graduated from the
High School of Thompsonville, where he
prepared for college, and established an
unusually good record as a student and
won the Hibernian scholarship of Con-
necticut. Accordingly, he matriculated
at the Catholic University of Washing-
ton, D. C, and here devoted his attention
to the study of the law, having deter-