John Markey
Encyclopedia
David John Markey was an American politician, Army officer, businessman, and college football
coach. He is probably most notable for a controversial unsuccessful campaign for a United States Senate
seat against former Maryland
governor Herbert R. O'Conor in 1946. Markey was also the ninth head coach for the Maryland Agricultural College
(now the University of Maryland) football team
from 1902 to 1904.
on October 7, 1882 to parents John Hanshew and Ida Maria (née Willard) Markey. D. John Markey attended Frederick City High School
. In 1898, he left high school and volunteered to serve in the Spanish-American War
in the United States Army
as part of a company
of the First Maryland Infantry Regiment raised in Frederick. One of his ancestors, Johann David Markey, immigrated to Frederick from the Palatinate in 1736. Johann David Markey's son of the same name served in the War of 1812
and with the 16th Regiment of the Maryland Militia
.
The Markey family was alternatively described as of Scotch-Irish origin and "early settled in Frederick County
". Markey's grandfather, also D. John Markey, was an owner of lumber yards and mills in the county. His father, John Hanshew Markey, was born in Frederick in 1834 and became a prominent resident of the city, long-time shoe merchant, and a life-long Democrat
and member of the Episcopal Church
.
on the unit's football team, which featured former players from several Eastern colleges including Columbia, Cornell
, Harvard
, Penn
, Princeton
, and Yale
. In 1900, he served as an assistant football coach at Western Maryland College
(now McDaniel College), where he also played as a halfback. In 1902, the Maryland Agricultural College
(now the University of Maryland) hired Markey as the first professional head coach of its football team
with a salary of $300 ($ adjusted for inflation
). Markey reinstated a physical training regimen, which had first been implemented by Grenville Lewis
in 1896, and also introduced the tackling
dummy
to team practices. His coaching stressed the fundamentals of blocking
and tackle
, and he was assisted by Emmons Dunbar
, who had been mentored as a youth by legendary coach Glenn "Pop" Warner
in his native Springville, New York
.
Although he had not intended to play on the team as its head coach, Markey filled in for a Maryland halfback
, Ed Brown, who quit after receiving a death threat from a Georgetown
fan in the season-opener. Markey led Maryland to a 3–5–2 record in his first season and improved to 7–4 in 1903. In 1904, after the school refused him a salary increase, he coached only part time. Markey commuted from Frederick twice a week to coach the team, while chemistry professor Buck Wharton was responsible for coaching duties the other four days. After the team posted a 2–4–2 record that season, Markey and the school ended their arrangement by mutual consent, and he was replaced as coach by State Department
lawyer Fred K. Nielsen. During his tenure at Maryland from 1902 to 1904, Markey compiled a 12–13–4 record.
, and participated in the city's Junior Fire Company. Markey was a member of the Reformed Church
. On June 13, 1907, he married Edna née Mullinix. In 1912, he became the first president of the newly established Frederick Chamber of Commerce
.
, Markey commanded the 112th Machine Gun Battalion of the 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment. Markey later received a Distinguished Service Medal
for acting as Brigade Adjutant in addition to his duties as commander of the Machine Gun Battalion, 58th Brigade, 29th Division in 1918 north of Verdun
. He eventually took command of the 115th Infantry Regiment. During the war, Markey rose to the rank of brigadier general
, and served on the General Staff of the U.S. Army. In 1923, Markey was serving as the Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee of the American Legion
. From 1924 to 1963, he was on the American Battle Monuments Commission
. Under General John J. Pershing
, from 1933 to 1937, he was responsible for the building of nineteen chapels and war monuments in Europe.
seats as a Republican
against former Governor Herbert O'Conor
. After the vote, both candidates claimed victory, before the official count declared O'Conor the winner by a margin of 2,232 out of more than 470,000 votes cast. On December 10, 1946, Markey requested the Special Committee to Investigate Senatorial Campaign Expenditures conduct a recount in Baltimore City and Montgomery County
, which had used voting machine
s. He asked for a prompt recount and also alleged his opponents' campaign had committed financing violations. The committee agreed because Maryland was unable to conduct its own official recount, and found a variation of about 400 votes. The committee then sought to survey five additional counties that were likely to have irregularities. Markey requested a full recount of the entire state.
In the meantime, O'Conor was sworn into the senate seat on January 4, 1947, after a slight delay. Throughout the recounts, Markey implored the process be done quickly, and implied that the election evidence could go missing at any moment. In May 1947, upon completion of the recount of the five additional counties, O'Conor still maintained a margin of 1,465 votes. In the aftermath, Markey complained of the O'Conor administration's control of the state government, the Democratic Party's control of the state since 1864, and law enforcement's failure to prevent polling abuses. By contrast, Democratic Maryland senator Millard Tydings
alleged partisan bias on the part of the Republican-led investigating subcommittee. The committee completed its full recount of the state in January 1948, and concluded that O'Conor had secured a 1,624-vote majority.
Markey made another unsuccessful senate bid in 1950 against Republican businessman John Marshall Butler
. By 1950, Markey held a position as commander of the Maryland American Legion. He died in 1963 and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery
. Markey and wife Edna had two children, D. John "Jack" Markey and Mary Elizabeth Hooper.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach. He is probably most notable for a controversial unsuccessful campaign for a United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat against former Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
governor Herbert R. O'Conor in 1946. Markey was also the ninth head coach for the Maryland Agricultural College
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
(now the University of Maryland) football team
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
from 1902 to 1904.
Early life
Markey was born in Frederick, MarylandFrederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
on October 7, 1882 to parents John Hanshew and Ida Maria (née Willard) Markey. D. John Markey attended Frederick City High School
Frederick High School
Frederick High School is a four-year public high school in Frederick, MD, Frederick County, Maryland, United States. Frederick High School can trace its roots to the 1890s before the boys' and girls' high schools merged in 1923 to form the first Frederick High School...
. In 1898, he left high school and volunteered to serve in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as part of a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of the First Maryland Infantry Regiment raised in Frederick. One of his ancestors, Johann David Markey, immigrated to Frederick from the Palatinate in 1736. Johann David Markey's son of the same name served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and with the 16th Regiment of the Maryland Militia
Maryland Army National Guard
The Maryland Army National Guard is the Army component of the organized militia of the State of Maryland. It is headquartered at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore and has units at armories and other facilities across the state....
.
The Markey family was alternatively described as of Scotch-Irish origin and "early settled in Frederick County
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
". Markey's grandfather, also D. John Markey, was an owner of lumber yards and mills in the county. His father, John Hanshew Markey, was born in Frederick in 1834 and became a prominent resident of the city, long-time shoe merchant, and a life-long Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and member of the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
.
Coaching career
In his youth, Markey played sandlot football for several years in his native Frederick. During his service in the First Maryland Infantry Regiment, he played as a reserve halfbackHalfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
on the unit's football team, which featured former players from several Eastern colleges including Columbia, Cornell
Cornell Big Red football
The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation...
, Harvard
Harvard Crimson football
The Harvard Crimson football program represents Harvard University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . Harvard's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competing in the sport in 1873...
, Penn
Penn Quakers football
The Penn Quakers football team is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
, Princeton
Princeton Tigers football
The Princeton Tigers football program represents Princeton University college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
, and Yale
Yale Bulldogs football
The Yale Bulldogs football program represents Yale University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . Yale's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competing in the sport in 1872...
. In 1900, he served as an assistant football coach at Western Maryland College
McDaniel College
McDaniel College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, located 30 miles northwest of Baltimore. The college also has a satellite campus located in Budapest, Hungary. Until July 2002, it was known as Western Maryland College...
(now McDaniel College), where he also played as a halfback. In 1902, the Maryland Agricultural College
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
(now the University of Maryland) hired Markey as the first professional head coach of its football team
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
with a salary of $300 ($ adjusted for inflation
Inflation adjustment
Inflation adjustment is the process of adjusting economic indicators and the prices of goods and services from different time periods to the same price level. To adjust for inflation, an indicator is divided by the inflation index...
). Markey reinstated a physical training regimen, which had first been implemented by Grenville Lewis
Grenville Lewis
Grenville Lewis, Jr. was an American engineer, cattle rancher, and college football coach. He served as the head coach at the Maryland Agricultural College .-Biography:...
in 1896, and also introduced the tackling
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
dummy
Dummy
Dummy may refer to:*Military dummy:**dummy round—a cartridge that is inert, i.e. contains neither primer nor gunpowder**decoy—fake military equipment intended to deceive the enemy...
to team practices. His coaching stressed the fundamentals of blocking
Blocking (American football)
In American football, blocking is a legal move occurring when one player obstructs another player's path with his body. The purpose of blocking is to prevent defensive players tackling the ball carrier, or to protect the quarterback while attempting to pass or hand-off the ball...
and tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
, and he was assisted by Emmons Dunbar
Emmons Dunbar
Emmons Burdette Dunbar was an American agriculturalist and college football coach. He served as head coach of the Maryland Agricultural College in 1901.-Biography:...
, who had been mentored as a youth by legendary coach Glenn "Pop" Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
in his native Springville, New York
Springville, New York
Springville is a village in the southeast part of the town of Concord in Erie County, New York, United States. Springville is the principal community in the town and a major business location in south Erie County. The population was 4,252 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara...
.
Although he had not intended to play on the team as its head coach, Markey filled in for a Maryland halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
, Ed Brown, who quit after receiving a death threat from a Georgetown
Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown's nickname is The Hoyas, but its mascot is "Jack the Bulldog." Various breeds of dogs have been used by the sports teams as mascots since the early 1900s. Several notable bull terriers like Sergeant Stubby and "Hoya" were used at football games in the 1920s, as was a Great Dane in the...
fan in the season-opener. Markey led Maryland to a 3–5–2 record in his first season and improved to 7–4 in 1903. In 1904, after the school refused him a salary increase, he coached only part time. Markey commuted from Frederick twice a week to coach the team, while chemistry professor Buck Wharton was responsible for coaching duties the other four days. After the team posted a 2–4–2 record that season, Markey and the school ended their arrangement by mutual consent, and he was replaced as coach by State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
lawyer Fred K. Nielsen. During his tenure at Maryland from 1902 to 1904, Markey compiled a 12–13–4 record.
Return to Frederick
He returned to Frederick to enter business selling hats and shoes, and became "one of the best known and leading of the younger business men of Frederick". In 1905, at the rank of captain, he was responsible for standing up Company A of the Maryland National Guard. At this time, he held an independent political affiliation, served as the director of the Frederick Young Men's Christian AssociationYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, and participated in the city's Junior Fire Company. Markey was a member of the Reformed Church
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
. On June 13, 1907, he married Edna née Mullinix. In 1912, he became the first president of the newly established Frederick Chamber of Commerce
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce is an American lobbying group representing the interests of many businesses and trade associations. It is not an agency of the United States government....
.
World War I service
In 1916, at the rank of majorMajor (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
, Markey commanded the 112th Machine Gun Battalion of the 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment. Markey later received a Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
for acting as Brigade Adjutant in addition to his duties as commander of the Machine Gun Battalion, 58th Brigade, 29th Division in 1918 north of Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
. He eventually took command of the 115th Infantry Regiment. During the war, Markey rose to the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
, and served on the General Staff of the U.S. Army. In 1923, Markey was serving as the Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
. From 1924 to 1963, he was on the American Battle Monuments Commission
American Battle Monuments Commission
The American Battle Monuments Commission is a small independent agency of the United States government. Established by Congress in 1923, it is responsible for:...
. Under General John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
, from 1933 to 1937, he was responsible for the building of nineteen chapels and war monuments in Europe.
Political career
In 1946, Markey ran a closely contested but unsuccessful campaign for one of Maryland's U.S. SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seats as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
against former Governor Herbert O'Conor
Herbert O'Conor
Herbert Romulus O'Conor , a Democrat, was the 51st Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1939 to 1947. He also served in the United States Senate, representing Maryland from 1947 to 1953....
. After the vote, both candidates claimed victory, before the official count declared O'Conor the winner by a margin of 2,232 out of more than 470,000 votes cast. On December 10, 1946, Markey requested the Special Committee to Investigate Senatorial Campaign Expenditures conduct a recount in Baltimore City and Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
, which had used voting machine
Voting machine
Voting machines are the total combination of mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic equipment , that is used to define ballots; to cast and count votes; to report or display election results; and to maintain and produce any audit trail information...
s. He asked for a prompt recount and also alleged his opponents' campaign had committed financing violations. The committee agreed because Maryland was unable to conduct its own official recount, and found a variation of about 400 votes. The committee then sought to survey five additional counties that were likely to have irregularities. Markey requested a full recount of the entire state.
In the meantime, O'Conor was sworn into the senate seat on January 4, 1947, after a slight delay. Throughout the recounts, Markey implored the process be done quickly, and implied that the election evidence could go missing at any moment. In May 1947, upon completion of the recount of the five additional counties, O'Conor still maintained a margin of 1,465 votes. In the aftermath, Markey complained of the O'Conor administration's control of the state government, the Democratic Party's control of the state since 1864, and law enforcement's failure to prevent polling abuses. By contrast, Democratic Maryland senator Millard Tydings
Millard Tydings
Millard Evelyn Tydings was an attorney, author, soldier, state legislator, and served as a Democratic Representative and Senator in the United States Congress from Maryland.-Early life:...
alleged partisan bias on the part of the Republican-led investigating subcommittee. The committee completed its full recount of the state in January 1948, and concluded that O'Conor had secured a 1,624-vote majority.
Markey made another unsuccessful senate bid in 1950 against Republican businessman John Marshall Butler
John Marshall Butler
John Marshall Butler was a Republican member of the United States Senate, representing the State of Maryland from 1951-1963.-Early life:Butler was born in Baltimore, Maryland and attended Baltimore public schools...
. By 1950, Markey held a position as commander of the Maryland American Legion. He died in 1963 and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. Markey and wife Edna had two children, D. John "Jack" Markey and Mary Elizabeth Hooper.