Samuel Rose (Philadelphia politician)

Samuel Rose (August 11, 1911 – January 31, 1960) was a Democratic lawyer and politician from Philadelphia.

Samuel Rose

Rose was born in 1911 in Philadelphia, the son of Issac Louis Rose and Minnie Mutterpearl Rose.[1][2] Raised in West Philadelphia, he attended Overbrook High School before graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University Law School.[3] In 1940, he married Rosalie Abrams, with whom he had two children.[1] After law school, he worked as an assistant examiner at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission before starting a private law practice with an office in the Market Street Bank Building in Center City.[4][3] He also worked as a part-time boxing promoter.[4]

Rose quickly got involved in local politics as a Democrat, becoming leader of the 24th ward.[3] He was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as one of three members from the 18th district, along with fellow Democrats Marshall L. Shepard and John J. Finnerty.[5] (House members at that time were chosen from multimember districts.) In 1942, despite Republican gains statewide, Rose and Finnerty were reelected along with Democrat Dennis W. Hoggard.[6] Two years later, the voters elected all three representatives to another term.[7] In 1946, the Republicans swept the city and much of the state including Rose's district as he and his co-members went down to defeat.[8] Two years later the Democrats regained some of their losses, including electing Rose, Hoggard, and Edward J. Conway from the 18th district, but Republicans still controlled the House.[9] All three were reelected in 1950, despite Republican gains elsewhere in the state.[10]

In 1951, Rose was elected to Philadelphia City Council from West Philadelphia's 4th district, part of a Democratic wave that swept the Republicans from power for the first time in 67 years.[11] He was appointed head of the Law and Government Committee.[12] In 1954, he joined with other reformers to successfully oppose the efforts fellow Democrats James Tate and Michael J. Towey to weaken the civil service reforms of the new charter.[13] The following year, he was reelected with an increased majority of 68%.[14] After his reelection, he was elected majority leader.[3] Rose changed course and joined with Tate in proposing similar amendments to the charter in 1956.[15] The proposals made it on to the April ballot but were defeated by the voters.[16]

Rose suffered a heart attack in April 1959, but recovered enough to win reelection that year.[3] His ailment persisted, however, and he died on January 31, 1960, at the age of 48.[3] Rose was buried at Roosevelt Memorial Park in Trevose, Pennsylvania.[2]