Who Is Larry O’Brien?

Larry O’Brien was the NBA Commissioner from 1975 to 1984. He was also the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the United States Olympic Committee from 1980 to 1984.

Introduction

Larry O’Brien was born on July 7,1740, in County Meath, Ireland. He was the son of a farmer and had little formal education. He emigrated to the United States in 1766 and settled in Philadelphia. O’Brien became involved in the patriot cause during the American Revolution and served as a captain in the Pennsylvania militia. After the war, he married Hannah Miles and they had six children together.

O’Brien became a prosperous merchant and was active in Philadelphia politics. He served on the city’s Common Council from 1784 to 1786 and was a member of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention in 1789. He also served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1789 to 1790. In 1791, O’Brien was elected as a member of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives and served until 1793. He then returned to Philadelphia politics and was elected as mayor of the city in 1801.

O’Brien served as mayor for two terms and then retired from public life. He died on April 10, 1814, at his home in Philadelphia.

Early Life and Family

Larry O’Brien was born Lawrence Francis O’Brien, Jr. on July 7, 1917, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was the second child of Janet and Lawrence Francis O’Brien, Sr. His father worked as a lawyer and his mother was a homemaker. He had one older sister, Janet. The family was Roman Catholic and attended church every Sunday.

O’Brien’s father died of a heart attack when Larry was just 12 years old. His mother struggled to support her two children on her own. Despite their financial difficulties, the O’Briens always had dinner together as a family every night and attended Sunday Mass together.

O’Brien graduated from Classical High School in Springfield in 1935. He then went on to attend Boston College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1939.

Education

Larry O’Brien , who was once a high school drop-out, became one of the most effective political operatives in American history. O’Brien’s main strengths were his encyclopedic knowledge of campaign law and his ability to control the Democratic National Committee’s finances.

O’Brien was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on July 7, 1917. He was the only child of Irish immigrants. His father died when he was six years old, and his mother struggled to support the family. When O’Brien was sixteen, he dropped out of high school to help support his family.

O’Brien found work as a caddy at a local country club. He soon began working in the club’s pro shop. From there, he got a job as a clerk in the office of a local newspaper. In time, O’Brien became the paper’s advertising manager.

In 1940, O’Brien married Dorothy Kenefick. The couple would have four children together.

During World War II, O’Brien served in the Army Air Forces. After the war, he returned to work in advertising and public relations.

Early Career

Larry O’Brien was born on July 7, 1740, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of a successful merchant and shipping agent. O’Brien attended the Boston Latin School, and then graduated from Harvard College in 1759. After graduation, he entered into his father’s business.

O’Brien became a successful merchant in his own right, and was one of the founders of the Newburyport Marine Society. He also served as a Town Selectman and on the Newburyport Board of Trade. In 1774, he was elected to the Massachusetts General Court (the state legislature).

O’Brien was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1775 and 1776. He was also a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention in 1779. During the Revolutionary War, he served on the Massachusetts Council of Safety.

First Term as Mayor

In January 1962, O’Brien was elected Mayor of Buffalo, New York on a fusion ticket with the support of both Democrats and Republicans. He was 33 years old at the time, making him the youngest mayor in Buffalo’s history. He served one four-year term and chose not to run for re-election in 1965. As mayor, O’Brien is credited with modernizing the city government and revitalizing the downtown area.

Second Term as Mayor

O’Brien ran for a second term as Mayor in 1978, and was again successful, defeatingISTFallas by a margin of over 17,000 votes. He was sworn in for his second and final term on December 5, 1978.

Later Career

O’Brien remained active in politics after leaving the LBJ administration. In 1968, he managed Robert F. Kennedy’s successful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. After Kennedy’s assassination, O’Brien helped persuade Kennedy’s brother Edward to run for the Senate in Massachusetts. He also worked on Hubert Humphrey’s unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1968 and helped George McGovern secure the 1972 Democratic nomination. In between these campaigns, O’Brien served as chairman of the 1976 Democratic National Convention.

In his later years, O’Brien served on the boards of several corporations and nonprofit organizations. He died of cancer in 1990 at the age of 74.

Death

Larry O’Brien died on September 19, 1990, at the age of 73.

Legacy

Larry O’Brien’s accomplishments are considerable. He was the Commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1975 to 1984. He is credited with helping to make the NBA into the successful league it is today. Before becoming Commissioner, O’Brien worked as an attorney and served as an administrator in the Kennedy administration. He also worked on the presidential campaigns of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.