Martin Gorski

Martin Gorski (October 30, 1886 – December 4, 1949) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a Democratic Representative from Illinois in the United States House of Representatives from 1943 to 1949. Over the course of four terms in Congress, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his constituents in Illinois.

Gorski was born in Poland on October 30, 1886. In 1889 he immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up in Chicago, he was part of the city’s large and growing Polish American community, which would later form an important base of his political support. He pursued his early education in Chicago and went on to attend business college, preparing for a professional career in the city’s commercial and legal life.

After completing business college, Gorski studied law at Chicago Law School, from which he graduated in 1917. That same year he was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Chicago, Illinois. His legal career developed quickly in the context of Cook County’s busy courts, and he established himself as a practicing attorney at a time when Chicago was expanding rapidly and confronting complex legal and civic issues.

Gorski entered public service soon after beginning his legal practice. He served as an assistant State’s attorney from 1918 to 1920, participating in the prosecution of criminal cases on behalf of the people of Cook County. Later, he held the position of master in chancery of the Superior Court of Cook County from 1929 to 1942, a role that involved handling equity matters and making recommendations to the court in complex civil proceedings. His long tenure in this judicial-adjunct position enhanced his reputation for legal competence and public service and provided a foundation for his subsequent political career.

In 1942, Gorski was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-eighth Congress, beginning his service in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3, 1943. He was subsequently reelected to the Seventy-ninth, Eightieth, and Eighty-first Congresses, serving continuously from January 3, 1943, until his death on December 4, 1949. During these four terms in office, he participated in the democratic process and contributed to the legislative work of the House at a time marked by World War II, the immediate postwar transition, and the early years of the Cold War. As a member of the House of Representatives, he represented Illinois and worked to advance the interests and concerns of his constituents, including many working-class and immigrant families in the Chicago area.

Gorski’s congressional service ended when he died in office on December 4, 1949, while still serving in the Eighty-first Congress. His death placed him among the members of the United States Congress who died in office during the first half of the twentieth century. He was interred in Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, reflecting his lifelong connection to the Chicago region and its communities.