William M. Boyle, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetWilliam M. Boyle
American political activist
Date of Birth: 02-Feb-1902
Place of Birth: Leavenworth, Kansas, United States
Date of Death: 30-Aug-1961
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius 
About William M. Boyle
- William Marshall Boyle Jr.
- (February 2, 1902 – August 30, 1961) was a Democratic political activist from Kansas.
- Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1949 to 1951, he was a friend of President Harry S.
- Truman and is credited with engineering Truman's upset victory over Governor Thomas Dewey in the 1948 Presidential election.
- He was forced to resign as chairman of the Democratic National Committee after being charged with financial corruption.
- Boyle was born in Leavenworth, Kansas in 1902; he became politically active as a Young Democrat at age 16, thereby attracting the attention of Kansas City, Missouri political boss Thomas Pendergast, who made Boyle a precinct captain before his 21st birthday.
- Boyle's parents were friends of Harry Truman and the future president took him under his wing.
- Boyle took a law degree, practiced law and was active in Democratic politics in Kansas City.
- He played an active role in Truman's successful run for the U.S.
- Senate in 1934.
- He became police director of Kansas City in 1939.
- In 1941, he moved to Washington to take a job as counsel to the Truman Committee and personal assistant to Truman in 1942.
- In 1944, Boyle joined the Democratic National Committee, where he helped steer Truman's 1944 Vice-presidential campaign.
- Boyle opened an office in Washington.
- In the 1948 campaign, he persuaded Truman, at the time an underdog, to launch a whistle stop tour of the Midwest.
- In 1949, Truman made Boyle the executive vice chairman and then chairman, of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
- In 1951, a Senate subcommittee under Senator J.
- William Fulbright opened a probe of loan decisions by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC).
- The subcommittee report charged Boyle with exerting political pressure on the RFC to provide loans to political allies.
- Truman said the allegations were "asinine." However another Senate subcommittee opened a probe that revealed Boyle used his influence to obtain a $565,000 loan for an $8000 fee.
- Boyle admitting accepting fees, but denied pressing for the loan He resigned from the DNC, citing poor health.
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