William Norton

For other people named William Norton, see William Norton (disambiguation).

William Norton
Minister for Social Welfare
In office 18 February 1948 – 13 June 1951
Preceded by	Seán Lemass
Succeeded by	Seán Lemass
Minister for Industry and Commerce
In office 2 June 1954 – 20 March 1957
Preceded by	Seán Lemass
Succeeded by	Seán Lemass
Leader of the Labour Party
In office 1932 – March 1960
Preceded by	Thomas J. O'Connell
Succeeded by	Brendan Corish
Personal details
Born	2 November 1900 Dublin, Ireland
Died	Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Labour Party
Spouse(s)	Helen
Children	6
Religion	Roman Catholicism

William Norton (2 November 1900 – 4 December 1963) was an Irish Labour Party politician, and leader of the party from 1932 to 1960.

Norton was born in Dublin in 1900. He joined the postal service in 1916. By 1920 he was a prominent member in the trade union movement in Ireland. From 1924 to 1948 he served as secretary of the Post Office Workers' Union.

He was elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin County at a by-election in 1926, but was defeated at the June 1927 general election. In Professor Tom Garvin's review of the 1950s 'News from a New Republic', he comes in for praise as a moderniser. Garvin places him with a cross party group including Gerard Sweetman and Daniel Morrissey of Fine Gael as well as Seán Lemass of Fianna Fáil who were pushing a modernising agenda. He represented Kildare from 1932 until his death.

In 1932 he became leader of the Labour Party. In the First Inter-Party Government (1948–1951), Norton became Tánaiste and Minister for Social Welfare. In the Second Inter-Party Government (1954–1957), Norton served as Tánaiste and Minister for Industry and Commerce.

William Norton died in Dublin in 1963. His son Patrick Norton served as a TD for Kildare from 1965 to 1969.

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

References

Political offices
Preceded by James Ryan	Minister for Social Welfare 1948–1951	Succeeded by James Ryan
Preceded by Seán Lemass	Tánaiste 1948–1951	Succeeded by Seán Lemass
	Minister for Industry and Commerce 1954–1957
Preceded by Seán Lemass	Tánaiste 1954–1957	Succeeded by Seán Lemass
Party political offices
Preceded by Thomas J. O'Connell	Leader of the Labour Party 1932–1960	Succeeded by Brendan Corish