Dolan served one term in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives before being elected to the
Massachusetts Senate in 1938. Dolan was named Democratic Floor Leader in 1941, but gave up that position to serve in the
United States Army. Dolan resigned from the House on August 18, 1942, and enlisted in the
Army Air Corps. He was assigned to intelligence and after attending officers training school, was sworn in as a lieutenant and assigned to the
Twelfth Air Force. The Senate met for the first time at 11 am on January 5, 1949. The adjourned at 3:45 am the next day, still deadlocked after record 33 ballots. The stalemate finally ended on January 27 after 114 total ballots when the two sides agreed to have Dolan serve as President in 1949 and
Harris S. Richardson serve in 1950. As part of the agreement, the Democrats received a majority on the Senate Ways and Means Committee for the full two years and all of the Republican-appointed employees of the Senate were assured of their jobs. ==Later life and death==