This article is about the Massachusetts candidate. For the CEO of Scorpion Computer Services and executive producer of the Scorpion TV series, see Walter O'Brien.
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Walter A. O'Brien" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(April 2015)
Walter A. O'Brien, Jr. (December 19, 1914 – July 3, 1998[1]) was a Progressive Party politician from Boston, Massachusetts, United States in the 1940s and the fourth child of Walter A. O’Brien from Portland and Susan Ann Crosby, both third generation Irish Americans.
In 1949 O'Brien ran for mayor of Boston. Lacking sufficient financial support to pay for radio advertising, O'Brien commissioned campaign songs from local folk artists promoting his themes, recorded them, then played them out of a loudspeaker on a truck driven through town. O'Brien was fined $10 for disturbing the peace as a result.
One of those songs, "Charlie on the M.T.A.", has survived all memory of O'Brien himself, thanks largely to the Kingston Trio, who recorded and released the song (as "M.T.A.") in 1959. The smart card for Boston transit is called a "CharlieCard".[2]
O'Brien finished last in the mayoral race. In the election of November 8, 1949, John B. Hynes received 137,930 votes, James M. Curley received 126,000, Patrick J. "Sonny" McDonough received 22,230, George F. Oakes received 7,171, and Walter A. O'Brien received 3,659 (1.2% of the total).[2]
By the mid-1950s, the strong leftist policies of the Progressives combined with the Red Scare led to their public perception as communists (though they had no connection to the existing Communist Party). As a result, O'Brien disappeared into political obscurity along with his party. The Kingston Trio changed O'Brien's name in their version of the song to avoid it being associated with his party.[3]
In 1954 Herbert Philbrick testified before a hearing of the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee that he knew Walter O'Brien to be a member of the Communist Party and had attended cell meetings with him.[4]
After his political career ended, O'Brien retired to Harpswell in his home state of Maine, where he worked as a librarian and later ran an intermittently open used bookstore.[5]
References
^"Social Security Death Master File info for Walter A. O'Brien #092-03-9211". 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
^ abMoskowitz, Eric (December 26, 2010). "Charlie's true history moves out from the underground". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
^"Banned in Red Scare Boston: The Forgotten Story of Charlie & the MTA". Boston Fare Strike. July 30, 2012.
^Senate Internal Security Subcommittee. Hearings. Second Session on Communist Propaganda. Part 3. October 14, 1954. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1954, p.115.
^Walter O’Brien: The Man Who Never Returned Peter Dreier and Jim Vrabel. Jacobin.
External links
Charlie on the MTA lyrics and history
June 07, 2023
walter, brien, this, article, about, massachusetts, candidate, scorpion, computer, services, executive, producer, scorpion, series, walter, brien, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, . This article is about the Massachusetts candidate For the CEO of Scorpion Computer Services and executive producer of the Scorpion TV series see Walter O Brien This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia s notability guideline for biographies Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention If notability cannot be shown the article is likely to be merged redirected or deleted Find sources Walter A O Brien news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article relies largely or entirely on a single source Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources Find sources Walter A O Brien news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Walter A O Brien Jr December 19 1914 July 3 1998 1 was a Progressive Party politician from Boston Massachusetts United States in the 1940s and the fourth child of Walter A O Brien from Portland and Susan Ann Crosby both third generation Irish Americans In 1949 O Brien ran for mayor of Boston Lacking sufficient financial support to pay for radio advertising O Brien commissioned campaign songs from local folk artists promoting his themes recorded them then played them out of a loudspeaker on a truck driven through town O Brien was fined 10 for disturbing the peace as a result One of those songs Charlie on the M T A has survived all memory of O Brien himself thanks largely to the Kingston Trio who recorded and released the song as M T A in 1959 The smart card for Boston transit is called a CharlieCard 2 O Brien finished last in the mayoral race In the election of November 8 1949 John B Hynes received 137 930 votes James M Curley received 126 000 Patrick J Sonny McDonough received 22 230 George F Oakes received 7 171 and Walter A O Brien received 3 659 1 2 of the total 2 By the mid 1950s the strong leftist policies of the Progressives combined with the Red Scare led to their public perception as communists though they had no connection to the existing Communist Party As a result O Brien disappeared into political obscurity along with his party The Kingston Trio changed O Brien s name in their version of the song to avoid it being associated with his party 3 In 1954 Herbert Philbrick testified before a hearing of the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee that he knew Walter O Brien to be a member of the Communist Party and had attended cell meetings with him 4 After his political career ended O Brien retired to Harpswell in his home state of Maine where he worked as a librarian and later ran an intermittently open used bookstore 5 References Edit Social Security Death Master File info for Walter A O Brien 092 03 9211 2014 Retrieved 5 January 2016 a b Moskowitz Eric December 26 2010 Charlie s true history moves out from the underground The Boston Globe Retrieved 26 December 2010 Banned in Red Scare Boston The Forgotten Story of Charlie amp the MTA Boston Fare Strike July 30 2012 Senate Internal Security Subcommittee Hearings Second Session on Communist Propaganda Part 3 October 14 1954 Washington DC United States Government Printing Office 1954 p 115 Walter O Brien The Man Who Never Returned Peter Dreier and Jim Vrabel Jacobin External links EditCharlie on the MTA lyrics and history Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Walter A O 27Brien amp oldid 1142493248, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
