Strabo V. Claggett

The Democratic Party did not have any candidates for Massachusetts State Auditor in the 1924 election. Republican incumbent Alonzo B. Cook had come under fire from Clarence Ransom Edwards for not hiring qualified World War I veterans.^[4] He was also accused of religious prejudice in hiring by state representative Roland D. Sawyer and a legislative committee was informed to investigate Cook.^[5] Shortly before the party primary, United States Senator David I. Walsh and other party leaders convinced Claggett to run for the nomination as a sticker candidate, who received enough votes to appear on the November ballot.^[6] Claggett received support from a number of prominent Republicans and believed he would win the election. However, Cook was able to retain his office by 52,747 votes due to a poor Democratic turnout in Worcester and Essex counties.^[7] Cook and Claggett faced off again in 1926, and Cook was once again the victor, albeit by a smaller margin.^[8] Claggett was expected to challenge Cook for a third time in 1928, but Claggett was upset in the Democratic primary by Francis J. O'Gorman.^[9]

In 1930, Claggett ran for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. He defeated Everett, Massachusetts mayor Michael C. O'Neill by 101 votes to win the Democratic nomination.^[10] He lost the general election to Republican incumbent William S. Youngman by over 19,000 votes. Claggett's aides alleged that there were inaccuracies in the initial count and pushed for a recount.^[11] However, on November 18, Claggett announced that the alleged errors would not be enough to change the outcome of the election and abandoned the recount bid.^[12] Claggett would later allege that an unsuccessful lawsuit brought against him shortly before the election had cost him the race and called it "the worst political trick ever perpetrated of a candidate for public office in Massachusetts.^[13]

Claggett chose not to run for public office in 1932, instead working at the Democratic National Committee's headquarters in New York City for the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidential campaign.^[13]

During the 1930s, Claggett moved to New York City and became less involved with politics.^[2] He divorced in 1958 and on May 7, 1962, married Hazel K. Beery.^[1] In 1961, Claggett wrote the music for Here's to Harvard, a Harvard University fight song. The song was controversial due to a line, written by lyricist Alan H. Lutkus, which called rival Yale a "four-letter word".^[14]

Claggett died on July 12, 1966 at Beth Israel Hospital following a brief illness.^[2]