Most Reverend Thomas A. Connolly, D.D., J.C.D.
Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Seattle with right of succession, February 28, 1948
Succeeded as Bishop of Seattle, May 18, 1950
Retired February 25, 1975
Died April 18, 1991

Thomas A. Connolly was appointed the Coadjutor Bishop of Seattle on February 28, 1948. He succeeded to the See as Fifth Bishop of Seattle May 18, 1950.  He was appointed First Archbishop of Seattle, June 23, 1951.

Archbishop Connolly, born in San Francisco on October 5, 1899, accomplished a vast number of good works during his episcopacy. Known as a “brick and mortar bishop” he built hundreds of Catholic facilities to accommodate the post-World War II population growth in the diocese. As the population rapidly expanded, the diocese was divided, creating the new Diocese of Yakima and elevating Seattle to an Archdiocese. Connolly also cared deeply for the young people of the diocese, especially as the post-war "baby boom" took effect. He built many schools and supported youth programs such as the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) and CCD (Confraternity of Catholic Doctrine) education programs. Archbishop Connolly took bold steps in supporting the civil rights movement, ecumenical programs, and labor issues. He attended Vatican II and helped guide the archdiocese through the tumultuous era of the 1960s.

After an episcopacy that encompassed astonishing changes and growth for the Church and for the archdiocese, Archbishop Connolly retired in 1975. He died in 1991 at his home.