Thomas A. Burke

Thomas Aloysius Burke (October 30, 1898 – December 5, 1971) was an American Democratic Party politician from Ohio. He served as the 48th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio and in the United States Senate from November 10, 1953 until December 2, 1954. Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport is named after him.

Career

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Burke served in the U.S. Army before attending the College of the Holy Cross and Western Reserve University School of Law, now Case Western Reserve University. After serving in various capacities in the law offices of the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and the state of Ohio, Burke was elected Mayor of Cleveland in 1945. In 1947 he worked to create an airport on the lake and Burke Lakefront Airport was dedicated in his name. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor Frank Lausche upon the death of Robert A. Taft. Burke lost a special election for the remainder of the term in late 1954 to George H. Bender by a very narrow margin. Bender in turn lost to Lausche in 1956.

Burke resumed the practice of law forming the influential Cleveland law firm of Burke, Haber and Berick (now McDonald Hopkins Burke and Haber).

Death

Burke died of undisclosed causes on December 5, 1971, at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland, where he'd been admitted the day before. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland.