Larry O'Brien

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For the Ottawa newly-elected mayor, see Larry O'Brien (Canadian politician)

Lawrence "Larry" Francis O'Brien, Jr. (b. July 7, 1917, Springfield, Massachusetts – d. September 28, 1990) was one of the United States Democratic Party's leading electoral strategists when, for more than two decades, he helped reshape American politics.

The son of Irish immigrants, when he wasn't working in politics, O'Brien managed his family's real estate and did public relations work as well.

Contents 1 Politics 2 Government 3 Sports 3.1 NBA career highlights 4 Quotations 5 External links

[edit] Politics

O'Brien learned about politics at a young age when his father was a local leader of the party and had recruited 11-year-old Lawrence to serve locally as a volunteer in the 1928 presidential campaign of Al Smith. O'Brien became a passionate Democrat before earning a bachelor's degree in law in 1942 at Northeastern University in Boston.

He was appointed in 1946, 1948 and 1950 by his friend Foster Furcolo to serve locally as the director of his U.S. House of Representatives election campaigns.

O'Brien was appointed in 1952 by John F. Kennedy to serve in Massachusetts as the director of his successful U.S. Senate election campaign and, in 1958, to serve in Massachusetts as the director of his successful reelection campaign. His elections were largely attributed to O'Brien's recruitement and use of volunteers, and his development of a statewide election campaign.

He began in 1959 to build the foundation for Sen. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign by touring the United States.

O'Brien was appointed in 1960 by Sen. Kennedy to serve nationally as the director of his presidential campaign. His election planning in key primary states such as Wisconsin and West Virginia convinced many in the party that Sen. Kennedy's Catholicism wasn't a problem.

O'Brien developed a new presidential campaign strategy for the Democratic National Convention which became the standard for both parties. He collected information about each convention delegate and alternate delegate, and communicated frequently the liaison of every delegation.

O'Brien was appointed in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson to serve nationally as the director of his presidential campaign.

In 1968 O'Brien was appointed by Vice President Humphrey to serve nationally as the director of his presidential campaign and by Howard Hughes to serve in Washington as his public-policy lobbyist.

Committed to the principle that political parties are fundamental to the American political process, O'Brien was elected in 1968 and 1970 by the DNC to serve nationally as its chairman. His office was the primary target of the break-in at DNC headquarters in 1972, leading to the ensuing Watergate scandal.

The DNC Lawrence O'Brien Award was created in 1992 by his family and Democratic Party leaders to acknowledge the many years of service he gave to the party and his belief in the important contribution of volunteers.

[edit] Government

His first post in Washington was given to him by Rep. Furcolo in 1948 to serve in Washington as his administrative assistant and in 1960 he was appointed by President-elect Kennedy to recruit staff for his administration.

O'Brien was appointed in 1961 by President Kennedy to serve in Washington as his special assistant to the president for congressional relations and personnel. O'Brien was also responsible for awarding patronage.

He lobbied successfully during President Kennedy's first year for the expansion of the U.S. House of Representatives Standing Committee on rules to ensure a liberal and moderate majority. O'Brien lobbied also for a majority in support of increasing the minimum wage.

He managed President Kennedy's activities in 1962 on behalf of the Democratic Party during its election campaigns.

O'Brien remained at the White House after President Kennedy's assassination when he was appointed in 1963 to serve in Washington as President Johnson's special assistant to the president for congressional relations and personnel. O'Brien continued this service through 1965.

O'Brien was appointed in 1965 by President Johnson to serve in Washington as the U.S. Postmaster General. O'Brien continued this service through 1968.

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery was named and opened in 2004 in his memory.

[edit] Sports

He was appointed in 1975 by the National Basketball Association to serve nationally as its commissioner where he directed the successful merger of the NBA with the American Basketball Association, negotiated television-broadcast agreements with CBS Television, and saw game attendance increase significantly. He continued this service through 1984. The NBA Championship Trophy was renamed in 1984 the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy in honor of his service to the sport of basketball.

[edit] NBA career highlights

• League expanded from 18 to 23 teams under O'Brien with the addition of the Dallas Mavericks in 1980
• Coordinated the NBA's richest TV contract (1982)
• Brought the NBA to cable television (ESPN and USA) in 1982, establishing the league as a cable TV pioneer
• Negotiated two landmark collective bargaining agreements (1976, 1983)
• Modified the college draft and restored peace to a league in the midst of legal turmoil (1976)
• Negotiated the NBA/ABA merger as Denver, San Antonio, Indiana, and the New York Nets joined the league
• Introduced salary cap (1983)
• Orchestrated the settlement of the Oscar Robertson lawsuit, creating a fair and equitable system of free agency for veterans
• Annual NBA attendance reached 10 million during his tenure
• Gate receipts doubled and television revenue tripled during his time as commissioner
• Established NBA College Scholarship program (1980)
• Reached a stringent anti-drug agreement with the NBA Players Association (1983)
• Oversaw the adoption of the three-point field goal in the NBA (1979)
• Hand-checking was eliminated and on-court violence was reduced during his commissionership

[edit] Quotations

• "Volunteers are essential to the success of any political campaign. There is no such thing as having a surplus of volunteers," O'Brien, 1960 campaign manual of President Kennedy.
• "I'm proud to be a politician. Politics is the art of the possible and it is an intensely personal art," O'Brien memoirs, No Final Victories.

[edit] External links

• Basketball Hall of Fame: Lawrence O'Brien
• Encyclopædia Britannica: Lawrence O'Brien
• Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum: Lawrence O'Brien
• John F. Kennedy Library and Museum: Lawrence O'Brien
• University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs: Lawrence O'Brien

Preceded by: John A. Gronouski	United States Postmaster General 1965–68	Succeeded by: W. Marvin Watson
Preceded by: Walter Kennedy	NBA Commissioner 1975–84	Succeeded by: David Stern