Leo Paul Kocialkowski

Leo Paul Kocialkowski (August 16, 1882 – September 27, 1958) was an American politician who served five terms as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1933 to 1943. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented his constituents in the United States House of Representatives during a significant period in American history, contributing to the legislative process over the course of a decade in Congress.

Kocialkowski was born on August 16, 1882, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Michael and Dorothy (née Wendzinski) Kocialkowski. Orphaned at an early age, he faced difficult personal circumstances in childhood. He attended private schools in Chicago and supplemented this education with a business course, preparing himself for a career in the commercial and public sectors.

After completing his schooling, Kocialkowski worked in various capacities in several business houses in Chicago, gaining practical experience in business and administration. His professional path led him into public service in Cook County, Illinois, where he engaged in tax appraisal and delinquent tax supervision from 1916 to 1932. This long tenure in county tax administration gave him detailed familiarity with local government finance and property taxation. He also became active in Democratic Party politics and served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1928, reflecting his growing prominence within the party.

Kocialkowski was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-third Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1943. His ten years in the House of Representatives coincided with the New Deal era and the early years of World War II, a transformative period in American political and economic life. As a member of the House, he participated in the democratic process at the national level and represented the interests of his Illinois constituents, contributing to debates and legislation shaped by the challenges of the Great Depression and the nation’s evolving role in world affairs.

During his congressional service, Kocialkowski held a significant leadership role as chairman of the Committee on Insular Affairs in the Seventy-fourth through Seventy-seventh Congresses. In this capacity, he was involved in oversight and legislation concerning the United States’ territories and possessions, an area of policy that included questions of governance, economic development, and political status for residents of those jurisdictions. His chairmanship placed him at the center of congressional consideration of issues affecting U.S. insular areas during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Despite his established position, he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1942, bringing his congressional career to a close at the end of his fifth term.

After leaving Congress, Kocialkowski continued his involvement in public service at the local level. He served as a member of the Civil Service Commission of Cook County, Illinois, from 1945 to 1949, participating in the administration and oversight of the county’s merit-based employment system. This role extended his long association with Cook County government and reflected his continued engagement in public administration after his national legislative career had ended.

Leo Paul Kocialkowski died in Chicago, Illinois, on September 27, 1958. He was interred in St. Adalbert Cemetery. His life and career spanned business, local government service, party politics, and a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives, during which he served five terms as a Democratic Representative from Illinois and held the chairmanship of the Committee on Insular Affairs.