Thomas Z. Minehart

Thomas Zeno Minehart (May 23, 1907 – July 29, 1989) was an American politician from the state of Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Philadelphia City Council and served as Pennsylvania Auditor General and Pennsylvania Treasurer. He was also the chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

Thomas Z. Minehart
27th Treasurer of Pennsylvania
In office January 18, 1965 – January 29, 1969
Governor	William Scranton Ray Shafer
Preceded by	Grace M. Sloan
Succeeded by	Grace M. Sloan
43rd Auditor General of Pennsylvania
In office January 23, 1961 – January 18, 1965
Governor	David L. Lawrence William Scranton
Preceded by	Charles C. Smith
Succeeded by	Grace M. Sloan
Member of the Philadelphia City Council for the 6th Councilmanic District
In office January 1, 1936 – January 1, 1940
Preceded by	Samuel Emlen
Succeeded by	John K. McDevitt
Personal details
Born	May 23, 1907
Died	July 29, 1989 (aged 82) Reading, Pennsylvania
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Janet Mulvaney
Children	5
Education	Temple University (BA) Temple University Beasley School of Law

Biography

Thomas Minehart was born on May 23, 1907 to John Minehart and Elizabeth Cosgrove Minehart. He graduated from Temple University and Temple University School of Law.[1] He was from a politically active family. His father had been a member of the City Council and his uncle, Thomas Z. Minehart, served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1907 to 1908.[2]

In 1936, Minehart was elected to the Philadelphia City Council for the 6th district. Following the reorganization of the City Council in the 1919 city charter, Minehart was the only Democrat on the city council throughout his one term at City Hall. In 1942, he ran for the United States House of Representatives against Hugh Scott, but was defeated taking only 44% of the vote.[3] After his defeat, he served as an attorney in the Office of Price Administration.[1] Minehart later moved to Fort Washington in Montgomery County and continued his law practice after leaving government.

In 1960, defeated Robert F. Kent a state representative from Crawford County in a race for Pennsylvania Auditor General.[4] [5] As auditor, he initiated audits of the suburban counties of Philadelphia and later clashed with Governor William Scranton after the latter took office and fired 32 Democrats from state offices. He later declined to approve a purchase of draperies that the governor ordered for a reception.[1]

In 1964, Minehart was term limited and ran for Pennsylvania Treasurer against Robert D. Fleming a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from Pittsburgh.With the landslide victory in the 1964 presidential election, Minehart had little trouble in dispatching his opponent by 542,000 votes.[6]

In 1966, Minehart supported Bob Casey Sr. in the 1966 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election who was defeated by Milton Shapp; but defeated Shapp's preferred candidate, Robert P. Kane, for chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.[7] As chairman, Minehart clashed with Democrats seeking reform around nomination rules after Hubert Humphrey was awarded the majority of delegates by the party even though Eugene McCarthy won the majority of votes in the Pennsylvania primary election. Minehart stepped down as auditor and offered to lead a reform commission as the state chairman. He appointed a commission to reform the rules; however, the committee met only twice and had one public hearing before the committee was effectively shut down, leading to charges that Minehart had double-crossed the party members who supported his election.[8]

Meinhart died on July 29, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania from heart failure.[1]

References

1. "Thomas Z. Meinhart, 82, a Leader among State and Local Democrats". Philadelphia Inquirer. 1989-07-30.
2. "Thomas Zeno Minehart". Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
3. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of 1942" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
4. John J. Kennedy (2014). Pennsylvania Elections. University Press of America. p. 156. ISBN 9780761864431.
5. "Robert F. Kent". Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
6. John J. Kennedy (2014). Pennsylvania Elections. University Press of America. p. 143. ISBN 9780761864431.
7. "State Demo Party Elects Minehart In Makeshift Unity". Bristol Daily Courier. 1966-06-22.
8. Byron E. Shafer (1983). Quiet Revolution: Struggle for the Democratic Party and the Shaping of Post-Reform Politics. Russell Sage Foundation. ISBN 9781610446891.