governor predecessor successor death_date birth_place death_place profession party office birth_date order term_start article_title term_end name
george earle edward shannon samuel lewis 10 january 1963 lansford , pennsylvania hazelton , pennsylvania miner , labor leader , politician democratic lieutenant governor of pennsylvania 02 november 1887 16th january 15 , 1935 thomas kennedy -lrb- unionist -rrb-
 january 17 , 1939 thomas kennedy
thomas kennedy -lrb- unionist -rrb-

thomas -lrb- tom -rrb- kennedy -lrb- november 2 , 1887 -- january 19 , 1963 -rrb- was a miner and president of the united mine workers of america -lrb- umwa -rrb- from 1960 to 1963 .
kennedy was born in 1887 in lansford , pennsylvania .
he started work in the mines at the age of 12 , breaking large chunks of coal into smaller pieces .
he joined the mine workers in 1900 , and was elected secretary of local 1738 in 1903 .
he was elected to the district 7 board in 1908 , and as district 7 president in 1910 ; he served until 1925 .
during this time , he was umwa 's chief negotiator for contracts with anthracite coal mine owners .
in 1925 , he was elected umwa 's secretary-treasurer .
he left that position when he was elected an international vice president in 1947 .
during his tenure as a umwa vice president , he led the battle to convince the american federation of labor to embrace social insurance and unemployment insurance .
he was elected lieutenant governor of pennsylvania in 1934 , becoming the first democrat to hold the office since chauncey black left office in 1887 .
he ran for governor four years later , but was defeated when the state democratic political machine decided not to support him .
kennedy was appointed to the national war labor board in 1941 , but resigned in protest later that year after the board ruled against umwa in the `` captive mines '' case .
he was re-appointed in 1942 , but resigned again when the board issued its `` little steel '' organizing decision .
after lewis ' retirement in 1960 , kennedy was elected president of the union .
although lewis favored w. a. boyle as his successor , kennedy was well liked and well known .
kennedy was in failing health , however , and boyle took over many of the president 's duties .
in november 1962 , kennedy became too ill to continue his duties and boyle was named acting president .
kennedy died on january 19 , 1963 , in hazleton , pennsylvania , and boyle was elected president as his successor .
