Harry W. Colmery
Harry W. Colmery | |
---|---|
Born | Harry Walter Colmery December 11, 1890 |
Died | August 23, 1979 | (aged 88)
Resting place | Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka, Kansas 39°02′25.2″N 95°44′19.6″W / 39.040333°N 95.738778°W |
Nationality | American |
Education | |
Occupation | Attorney |
Known for | Principal architect of G.I. Bill |
Title | National Commander of The American Legion |
Term | 1936 – 1937 |
Predecessor | Ray Murphy |
Successor | Daniel J. Doherty |
Spouse |
Minerva Harriet Colmery
(m. 1919; died 1956) |
Children | 3 |
Military career | |
Allegiance | |
Service/ | |
Rank | |
Unit | Air Service |
Battles/wars | World War I |
Awards |
Harry W. Colmery (December 11, 1890 – 1979) was an American attorney who served as the National Commander of The American Legion from 1936 to 1937.[1] Considered the principal architect of the G.I. Bill, he was the first past national commander to earn The American Legion's Distinguished Service Medal in 1975.[2]
Early life and education
Born in Braddock, Pennsylvania to Walter and Flora Colmery, Harry Walter Colmery was one of four children. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1913, from law school at the University of Pittsburgh in 1916, and was admitted to the Utah bar in 1917.[3]
World War I
Colmery served in the United States Army Air Service during World War I as an instructor and pursuit pilot. He was honorably discharged on April 24, 1919.[3]
Personal life
Colmery married his college sweetheart, Minerva Harriet Hiserodt, on December 20, 1919. They had three children: Mary, Harry W., Jr., and Sarah Elizabeth.[3]
Legacy
The Colmery-O'Neil Veterans Administration Hospital in Topeka, Kansas, is named in honor of him.[3]
References
- ^ "Harry Walter Colmery". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ^ "Harry W. Colmery | The American Legion". legion.org. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Harry Walter Colmery - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society". kshs.org. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
External links
- 1890 births
- 1979 deaths
- 20th-century American lawyers
- American military personnel of World War I
- Kansas lawyers
- Oberlin College alumni
- National Commanders of the American Legion
- People from Braddock, Pennsylvania
- United States Army Air Service pilots of World War I
- United States Army officers
- University of Pittsburgh School of Law alumni