Robert E. Hannegan Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Robert E. Hannegan (1903-1949) was Postmaster General of the United States (1945-1947). St. Louis Cardinals fans may also know him as their team's owner from 1947 to 1949. But his greatest contribution to history is probably his role as a power broker in the Democratic Party. He supported Harry S. Truman for re-election to Congress after the 1940 tax fraud conviction of Truman's sponsor Tom Pendergast. This support paid off big in 1944, when Truman recommended that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt make Hannegan chairman of the Democratic National Committee (1944-1947). As DNC chairman, Hannegan actively promoted Truman as FDR's 1944 Vice Presidential running mate.