James C. Shannon

James Coughlin Shannon ( born July 21, 1896 in Bridgeport, Connecticut; † 6 March 1980) was an American politician of the Republican Party.

During the First World War, Shannon served as fighter pilot in the U.S. Army. After completing his undergraduate degree at Georgetown University in 1918, he studied law at the Law School at Yale. He earned his Bachelor of Laws in 1921. Subsequently he worked from 1923 as a prosecutor in his home town of Bridgeport. From 1931 to 1935 he worked as a judge of the juvenile court of Bridgeport. From 1939 to 1948 he was a lawyer of skilled workers AFL for the State of Connecticut.

Politically, Shannon operated from 1947, when he became vice governor of Connecticut. James L. McConaughy, at that time governor, died on March 7, 1948, so Shannon aufrückte in this office on the same day. This year, he was also a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. During his tenure, a law to raise the retirement benefits was adopted. He was able also to enforce reforms in the state legislature. Despite these policy successes his re-election was denied: He defeated the Democrat Chester Bowles with less than 2700 votes difference, and he left office on January 5, 1949.

After his term as Governor Shannon returned to the legal field. From 1953 to 1966 he was a judge of the Supreme Court of Connecticut.