In 1944 , Myers was elected to the U.S. Senate after narrowly defeating Republican incumbent James Davis by 50 % -49 % . He was the first Catholic to serve as Senator from Pennsylvania . At the 1948 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Myers served as chairman of the platform committee ; in that position , he helped draft a party platform that strongly supported civil rights . He was Senate Majority Whip from 1949 to 1951 , serving under Majority Leader Scott Lucas
1948 Democratic National Convention
1948 Democratic National Convention
Francis J. Myers