Spellman, Francis Joseph (1889-1967), served as archbishop of New York City from 1939 until his death. In that position, he became one of the most powerful and influential religious figures in the United States. Spellman was famous for his energy and his ability to consolidate power, raise money for charities, and administer a huge and complex diocese. His Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner became one of the most significant annual political banquets in the country. While archbishop, Spellman was also vicar of the U.S. armed services.
Spellman was born in Whitman, Massachusetts. He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Boston in 1916. Spellman was appointed to the Secretariat of State at the Vatican in 1925. There he became friendly with Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII. Spellman became a bishop in 1932. Pius XII appointed him archbishop of New York City and named him a cardinal in 1946.
