John S. McKiernan

Who was John S. McKiernan?

John Sammon McKiernan was the United States Democratic politician, who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island from 1947–1950 and 1951–1956 and briefly the 62nd Governor of Rhode Island.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, McKiernan graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1934 and from Boston University School of Law in1937. After this, he went on to run his own law practice. and serve as legal advisor to the Providence Civil Service Commission as well as chairman of the Providence Fair Rents Committee in 1941.

In 1942 and 1943 he served as the first Assistant City Solicitor for Providence. After a break caused by his service in the US Navy be retook this post.

He was elected the Lieutenant Governor in 1946 and remained so until 1950. His Governor at the time was John O. Pastore, a fellow Democrat.

As Lieutenant Governor and presiding officer of the state Senate in 1949, McKiernan cast the tie-breaking vote that resulted in the adoption of new rules effectively giving Democrats control of the Senate’s legislative committees for the first time in more than decade.