O'Donnell, Gerald J.

Gerald James O'Donnell was born November 24, 1898, the fifth of eight children born to Pat and Ellen O'Donnell. O'Donnell lived his entire life in St. Paul, Minnesota, growing up in a home located at 373 Harrison Avenue (now torn down to make way for Interstate 35E) and residing most of his adult life at 1875 Worcester Avenue. O'Donnell attended the Cretin School through the eighth grade and worked several years as a clerk and a driver before beginning his career in steamfitting. In 1917 he met his future wife, Evelyn Simon, on the corner of St. Clair and West Seventh. The couple were married in 1921 and later had two daughters, Lois and Geraldine.

O'Donnell's lifelong association with the labor movement began in 1918 when he started an apprenticeship in the steamfitting-pipefitting trade through the United Association local No. 455, AFL. He became a journeyman in 1925. With the exception of a few years during the depression when he didn't have enough money to pay dues, O'Donnell was an active member of the Steamfitters Local 455 for the next sixty years of his life, serving as vice chairman, chairman, on the executive board, and as business manager for thirty years. One of his proudest achievements was the institution of an apprenticeship program in Local 455, the first such training program for young pipefitters in the area.

In addition to his work for the local, he served in many offices in the labor movement at the state and national level, including twenty years as vice president of the Minnesota State Federation of Labor and eighteen years on the United Association Industrial Relations Council for the plumbing and pipefitting industry (he was elected vice chairman of the council in 1961). He was a member of numerous union trades councils and served as president of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly central body for nine years and as president of the Minnesota Pipe Trades Association for twenty years. In later years, he founded the retiree's chapter of Local 455 and was chairman of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly's retirees' chapter. In the words of his daughter, Geraldine O'Donnell O'Keefe, "his overriding love was for the union -- the union -- the union. He ate union and slept union and breathed union. He had it in his blood."

O'Donnell was active in St. Paul civic affairs and in the DFL party. He was chairman of the 4th District DFL for six years and served on the state central and Democratic National committees as well as various campaign committees.

Gerald O'Donnell died on November 22nd, 1985, just days before his eighty-seventh birthday. He was preceded in death by his wife Evelyn, who passed away in 1958.

Biographical information was taken from published obituaries and materials in the collection.

From the guide to the Gerald J. O'Donnell papers., 1921-1985., (Minnesota Historical Society)