McCarran, Pat, 1876-1954

Patrick “Pat” Anthony McCarran (1876-1954) was a United States senator who was significant in Nevada’s politics for more than fifty years. He was a supporter of the aviation industry as well, lobbying for the construction of the Nellis Air Force Base. McCarran was one of the few Democrats who opposed President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was also known to be a passionate anti-Communist.

Pat McCarran was born on August 8, 1876 in Reno, Nevada to Irish immigrant parents who owned a sheep ranch. Since the ranch was isolated, McCarran was unable to start his formal education until the age of ten. He attended the University of Nevada in Reno in 1897, however he dropped out during his final semester and returned to the ranch due to his father getting injured. While helping his father and tending the sheep, he continued his law studies. From 1903 to 1905, McCarran ran on a populist platform for the Silver-Democrat party and served one term for the Nevada Assembly. McCarran also married Martha Harriet Weeks in 1903 and had five children together: Samuel Patrick, Mary Ladwina, Margaret Martha, Norine Isabelle, and Sylvia Patricia.

In 1905, McCarran was admitted to the Nevada Bar Association and continued practicing law for the next thirty years, his specialty being criminal law. He was known as an effective attorney for the defense, defending accused murderers, ladies of the night, abortionists, and accused bank robbers. Aspiring to become the Nevada State Senator, McCarran ran for eight political offices from 1902 to 1932, winning only three of the eight. The highest office he had been elected to at the time was Justice of the Nevada State Supreme Court, serving from 1913 to 1917. After being defeated in his bid for reelection for the Nevada Supreme Court in 1918, McCarran returned home to the ranch to practice criminal law. He earned the title of President of the Nevada Bar Association from 1920 to 1921 and vice president of the American Bar Association from 1922 to 1923.

After another run for the U.S. Senate in 1932, McCarran was finally elected by a narrow vote. He was then re-elected as United States Senator three more times in 1938, 1944, and 1950. His popularity arose from his voters as he was known to serve the interests of his constituents and Nevadans in immediate action. He was known as an excellent advocate, facilitator, and orator, supporting the growth of Las Vegas from supplying construction materials to lobbying for more businesses and industries to come to Southern Nevada. He acquired more allies by sending students from his home state through law school in the District of Columbia in exchange for their public support. They returned to Nevada as administrators, politicians, lawyers, and judges, being given the nickname “McCarran’s Boys.” McCarran was able to gain more political power as he became the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1944 as well.

Immediately after delivering his anti-communist speech during a political rally in Hawthorne, Nevada on September 28, 1954, McCarran suffered a fatal heart attack and passed away. His reputation slowly declined as Nevada grew into values that were much different than his. Las Vegas’ main airport was named the McCarran International Airport in his honor.

Sources:

“Patrick McCarran (1876-1954).” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service. Accessed June 11, 2020. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/lasvegas-mccarran/.

“Online Nevada Encyclopedia.” Patrick Anthony McCarran | ONE, September 8, 2010. http://www.onlinenevada.org/articles/patrick-anthony-mccarran.

“Pat McCarran.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 25, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_McCarran.