Evening star., 1953-09-30
Danaher 10 Be
New Judge Of
Appea|sCourt
Connecticut 6. O. P.
Ex-senator Named
To Proctor Vacancy


The recess appointment by
President Eisenhower. which is
subject to Senate confirmation,
is for the vacancy created by the
death of Judge James M. Proc
tor on September II.
Mr.. Danaher, 81, born into a
family of Republican lawyers,
has worked at the law, and Re-
publicanism. as long as he can
remember.
His father is the oldest active
lawyer in Connecticut, having
spent so years in practice. His
two brothers and his son, Robert,
are lawyers.
Lifelong Ambition.
He described the judgeship.
which will cut mis- income
heavily. as "a lifelong ambition" l"
Sitting at a desk Uttered with
pink slips indicating telephone
calls he was to answer, Mr.. Dana
her put 1t this way:
There are other compenSa-
tions than money. There's the
satisfaction of accomplishment,
of doing what you'd rather do" "
While he was neing inter-
viewed in his Commonwealth
Building Office, the pnone kept
on ringing. with friends calling
to congratulate MIN.
Among the m were Judge
Charles Fahy. of the court he
will join. who used to practice
law as a member of the same
firm, and other members of the
bar and bench.
He remembers as a child
watching his father moderate
every town meeting in Meriden,
"for years and years" AS he grew
up, everything I did, every
course I took" led toward a ca
reer in law. II planned it that
way" he said.
Sought Out Committees.
Even in the Senate, he kept
close to the law. He asked for
certain committee assignments
and because his first year in
Congress saw only % Republican
Senators. he got what he asked
for: Judiciary, Finance, Banking
and Currency, Patents, and Ter
ritorial and Insular Affairs.
His father went to work in the
office of Senator Orville H. Platt
in 1883. Senator Platt was the
secretary of the Republican
Party in Connecticut when it
was founded.
Mr.. Danaher is a graduate Of
Yale College and the Yale Law
school. He served two years as
Secretary of State for Connecti-
cut, and for IL years was an as
sistant United States Attorney.
He was elected to the Senate
in 1888 and served one term,
being defeated in 1914 by the
late Democratic Senator Brien
Mcmahon.
A Republican Party wheel
horse. he was a delegate to
numerous party conventions and
was selected in 1945 to be a
liaiSon man between the COP.
National Committee and men,
bers of Congress. That choice
was made by Herbert Brownell,
jr., then G. o. P. National chair
man and now Attorney General.
Gave Up $4,000 Post.
He resigned the $2O,00O-a-
year post in 1916 to devote full
time to the practice of law. Not
long before this he was under
consideration for the chairman
ship of the party'S National
committee.
At his Office last night, he
apologized for answering the
phone, saying, I'm the only one
here"
A happy, balding man, he
smoked cigars as he talked. His
Office walls were covered with
signed photographs of friends
among them the late Chief
Justice Vinson and Admiral
Nimitz-and his sons, Robert as
executive officer of his ship in
the Pacific war, and John, an
Army captain, just before the
Battle of the Bulge.
Mr.. Danaher also has a
daughter, Jeanne, who is about
to be married to a Hartford
(Conn) man. She is a gradu-
ate of immaculate High School
here.
Recently, Mr.. Danaher was
considered at the White House
for appointment to the Second
Circuit Court of Appeals, which
includes the Connecticut courts
Endorsed for Bench.
He was indorsed for the Cir
cult Court by the Federal Bal
Association of New York, New
Jersey and Connecticut, but
some influential officials of the
Connecticut Bar Association
gave their Endorsement to Fed
eral District Judge Carroll
HinckS of New Haven.
Earlier this month, however
the American Bar Association
informed Attorney General
Brownell that Mr.. Danaher was
well qualified" for the Second
Circuit vacancy.
Mr.. Danaher is a Roman
Catholic. In Washington he be-
longs to the Metropolitan Club
and in Hartford, the University
and Hartford Clubs. His col
lege fraternity was Beta Theta
Pi. In 1918 he was a second
lieutenant in the field artillery
Sisterhood to Meet