Rudolph G. Tenerowicz
Encyclopedia
Rudolph Gabriel Tenerowicz (June 14, 1890 - August 31, 1963) was a politician from the U.S. state
of Michigan
.
. Tenerowicz had five siblings: Sr. Mary (Tenerowicz) Bernadine C.S.S.F Felician order, Edward Tenerowicz, Stanley Tenerowicz, Anthony Tenerowicz, and Caroline (Tenerowicz) Osikowicz.
He attended the parochial schools in Adrian, SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary
in Orchard Lake, Michigan; St. Bonaventure's College (Now St. Bonaventure University
) in Allegany, New York
; and St. Ignatius College (now known as Loyola University Chicago
)in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated in medicine from Loyola University Chicago
in 1912 and practiced medicine in Chicago from 1912 to 1923.
During World War I
, Tenerowicz served from September 10, 1917 as a first lieutenant
in the Medical Corps
of the United States Army
until his discharge on December 26, 1918. He was captain in the Medical Reserve Corps
from 1919 to 1934. He received a postgraduate course in surgery at Illinois Post Graduate School at Chicago. He moved to Hamtramck, Michigan
in 1923 and continued the practice of medicine.
Governor
William A. Comstock. Despite the conviction, Tenerowicz returned to serve as mayor from 1936 to 1938. He was member of the Wayne County
Board of Supervisors for seven years.
While serving as Mayor, and in an effort to eliminate youth crime in the City of Hamtramck, Tenerowicz worked with Mrs. Jean Hoxie to implement a tennis programs to keep kids off the streets. Kids that participated in the tennis program were offered a meal at the end of the day for their efforts. The program was an overwhelming success and resulted in Michigan tennis champions at local, state and national levels, while reducing juvenile crime.
In 1938, Tenerowicz was elected, without challenge, as a Democrat from Michigan's 1st congressional district
to the Seventy-sixth Congress
and reelected in 1938 to the Seventy-seventh
, serving from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1943. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-nomination in 1942 and for election as a Republican in 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, and 1954.
Rudolph died at the age of 73, on August 31, 1963, at St. Francis Hospital in Hamtramck, Michigan. A Requiem Mass was held at St. Florian Catholic Church, a Rosary was held at the Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan, and Rudolph was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Margaret, his wife, died at the age of 88 in Howell, Michigan, and was laid to rest with her husband Rudolph in Arlington National Cemetery.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Early life
Tenerowicz was born in 1890 in Budapest, Hungary. His parents, John (a Polish diplomat in Hungary) and Antoinette (Gall) Tenerowicz, immigrated with their family to the United States in 1892 and settled in Adrian, Armstrong County, PennsylvaniaArmstrong County, Pennsylvania
Armstrong County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,941. It is located northeast of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Armstrong County was added to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2003.The county seat is Kittanning...
. Tenerowicz had five siblings: Sr. Mary (Tenerowicz) Bernadine C.S.S.F Felician order, Edward Tenerowicz, Stanley Tenerowicz, Anthony Tenerowicz, and Caroline (Tenerowicz) Osikowicz.
He attended the parochial schools in Adrian, SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary
SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary
SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary is a four-year private Polish seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan. The seminary, taking its name from Saints Cyril and Methodius, was founded in 1885 in Detroit, Michigan, to prepare candidates for the Roman Catholic priesthood primarily to serve Polish American...
in Orchard Lake, Michigan; St. Bonaventure's College (Now St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
) in Allegany, New York
Allegany, New York
Allegany, New York may refer to:*Two locations in Cattaraugus County, New York:**Allegany , New York**Allegany , New York*Allegany County, New York...
; and St. Ignatius College (now known as Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
)in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated in medicine from Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
in 1912 and practiced medicine in Chicago from 1912 to 1923.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Tenerowicz served from September 10, 1917 as a first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the Medical Corps
Medical Corps (United States Army)
The Medical Corps of the U.S. Army is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an MD or a DO degree, at least one year of post-graduate clinical training, and a state medical license.The MC traces its earliest origins...
of 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...
until his discharge on December 26, 1918. He was captain in the Medical Reserve Corps
Medical Reserve Corps
The Medical Reserve Corps is a network in the U.S. of community-based units initiated and established by local organizations to meet the public health needs of their communities. It is sponsored by the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States...
from 1919 to 1934. He received a postgraduate course in surgery at Illinois Post Graduate School at Chicago. He moved to Hamtramck, Michigan
Hamtramck, Michigan
Hamtramck is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,423. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion of the western border that touches the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park...
in 1923 and continued the practice of medicine.
Politics
Tenerowicz served as mayor of Hamtramck from 1928 to 1932. In 1931 Tenerowicz and twelve others, including two named Jacob Kaplan and Isaac Levey, were indicted for bribery. He was tried and convicted on vice conspiracy charges and freed from prison when pardoned by DemocraticDemocratic 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...
Governor
Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
William A. Comstock. Despite the conviction, Tenerowicz returned to serve as mayor from 1936 to 1938. He was member of the Wayne County
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
Board of Supervisors for seven years.
While serving as Mayor, and in an effort to eliminate youth crime in the City of Hamtramck, Tenerowicz worked with Mrs. Jean Hoxie to implement a tennis programs to keep kids off the streets. Kids that participated in the tennis program were offered a meal at the end of the day for their efforts. The program was an overwhelming success and resulted in Michigan tennis champions at local, state and national levels, while reducing juvenile crime.
In 1938, Tenerowicz was elected, without challenge, as a Democrat from Michigan's 1st congressional district
Michigan's 1st congressional district
Michigan's 1st congressional district is a United States Congressional district containing the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan as well as part of the Lower Peninsula. Currently the district is represented by Republican Dan Benishek.-Geography:...
to the Seventy-sixth Congress
76th United States Congress
The Seventy-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1941, during the seventh and...
and reelected in 1938 to the Seventy-seventh
77th United States Congress
-Major events:* December 7, 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor* December 8, 1941: Joint Session of Congress met to hear President Roosevelt deliver his "Day of Infamy" speech...
, serving from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1943. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-nomination in 1942 and for election as a Republican in 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, and 1954.
Family
Rudolph Gabriel "Doc" or "Rudy" Tenerowicz married Margaret Agnes McGuire in 1937 in Bowling Green Ohio. They had one child together, John Francis Tenerowicz of Hilton Head, SC, and a blended family with Margaret's children from a previous marriage, Marjorie Kanterman Paynter of Dearborn, Michigan, and William G. Tenerowicz, of Great Falls Virginia, and 12 grandchildren.Retirement and death
Rudolph Gabriel Tenerowicz resumed practice in Hamtramck, Michigan.Rudolph died at the age of 73, on August 31, 1963, at St. Francis Hospital in Hamtramck, Michigan. A Requiem Mass was held at St. Florian Catholic Church, a Rosary was held at the Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan, and Rudolph was laid to rest in 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...
.
Margaret, his wife, died at the age of 88 in Howell, Michigan, and was laid to rest with her husband Rudolph in Arlington National Cemetery.