John McCormack | |
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(b)_(1).jpg) McCormack circa 1955 | |
| 45thSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office January 10, 1962 – January 3, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Rayburn |
| Succeeded by | Carl Albert |
| Leader of theHouse Democratic Caucus | |
| In office January 10, 1962 – January 3, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Rayburn |
| Succeeded by | Carl Albert |
| House Majority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 1955 – January 10, 1962 | |
| Deputy | Carl Albert |
| Preceded by | Charles A. Halleck |
| Succeeded by | Carl Albert |
| In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Deputy | Percy Priest |
| Preceded by | Sam Rayburn |
| Succeeded by | Charles A. Halleck |
| In office September 16, 1940 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Deputy | Patrick J. Boland Robert Ramspeck John Sparkman |
| Preceded by | Sam Rayburn |
| Succeeded by | Charles A. Halleck |
| House Minority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955 | |
| Leader | Sam Rayburn |
| Preceded by | Leslie C. Arends |
| Succeeded by | Leslie C. Arends |
| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 | |
| Leader | Sam Rayburn |
| Preceded by | Leslie C. Arends |
| Succeeded by | Leslie C. Arends |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts | |
| In office November 6, 1928 – January 3, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | James A. Gallivan |
| Succeeded by | Louise Day Hicks |
| Constituency | 12th district (1928–1963) 9th district (1963–1971) |
| Member of theMassachusetts Senate from the 3rd Suffolk district | |
| In office 1923–1928 | |
| Preceded by | William H. McDonnell |
| Succeeded by | Henry Parkman Jr. |
| Member of theMassachusetts House of Representatives from the11th Suffolk district | |
| In office 1920–1922 Serving with James B. Troy | |
| Preceded by | Patrick M. Costello, Michael J. Reidy |
| Succeeded by | Hugh H. Garrity, Walter B. Grant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1891-12-21)December 21, 1891 |
| Died | November 22, 1980(1980-11-22) (aged 88) |
| Resting place | Saint Joseph Cemetery West Roxbury, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Edward J. McCormack Jr. (nephew) |
| Profession | Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | US Army |
| Years of service | 1918 |
| Rank | Sergeant Major |
| Unit | 14th Company, 151stDepot Brigade Infantry Replacement Center,Camp Lee, Virginia |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
John William McCormack (December 21, 1891 – November 22, 1980) was an American politician fromBoston, Massachusetts who served as the45th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1962 until his retirement in 1971. McCormack served in theUnited States Army duringWorld War I, and afterwards in theMassachusetts State Senate before winning election to theUnited States House of Representatives.
McCormack's congressional career was highlighted by his support for theNew Deal measures undertaken to combat theGreat Depression, U.S. involvement inWorld War II, and support for theGreat Society programs of the 1960s, includingcivil rights,education, andhealth care for the elderly. A staunchanti-communist, McCormack supported U.S. involvement in theVietnam War. His support for the war and the seniority system in Congress caused increasing numbers of younger members to challenge his leadership; McCormack survived a 1969 contest withMo Udall for the Speakership. He did not run for reelection to his House seat in 1970, and retired to his home in Boston. He later resided at aDedham nursing home, where he died in 1980.
At 42 years and 58 days, as of 2025, McCormack's service in the U.S. House ranks 18thin terms of uninterrupted time. He is the longest-serving member of the U.S. House in Massachusetts history.
McCormack was born in Boston on December 21, 1891.[1] He was the son of Joseph H. McCormack, ahod carrier and native ofPrince Edward Island, Canada, and his wife Mary Ellen (née O'Brien) McCormack of Boston (1861–1913).[2] He said he was one of 12 children, several of whom died as children or young adults.[2] In fact, Mary Ellen McCormack carried eight children to term, and six lived long enough to be counted in the census or included in other records.[2] John McCormack's older siblings Patrick (d. 1911), Catherine (d. 1906), and James (d. 1906) died at ages 24, 19 and 17, respectively.[2] His brother Edward ("Knocko") died in Boston in 1963 at age 67.[3] McCormack's brother Donald died in Texas in 1966 at the age of 65.[4] McCormack also had a half brother named Harry from his father's first marriage; Harry died onPrince Edward Island at age 18 in 1902.[2]
McCormack said for most of his life that his father died when McCormack was 13; other sources indicate that his father actually left the family and moved toWaldoboro, Maine, where he worked in the local granite quarries.[2] He died in 1929, and was buried in a pauper's grave at Waldoboro Rural Cemetery.[2]
McCormack attended theJohn Andrew Grammar School through the eighth grade.[1] He then left school to help support his family, initially working for $3 a week (about $95 in 2021) as an errand boy for a brokerage firm.[5] McCormack and his brothers also managed a large newspaper delivery route for $11 a week (about $347 in 2021).[5] He later left the brokerage for the office of attorney William T. Way, where he received a 50-cent a week increase.[5] He began tostudy law with Way, passed the Massachusettsbar exam at age 21, and wasadmitted to the bar despite not having gone to high school or college.[6] He was also an active member of theBenevolent and Protective Order of Elks.[7]
As a young man, McCormack began his involvement in politics by making campaign speeches on behalf of local Democratic candidates.[8] In May 1917, McCormack was elected to serve as a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, representing the 11thSuffolk District of theMassachusetts House of Representatives.[9][10]
In June 1918, McCormack enlisted in theUnited States Army forWorld War I,[11] and was initially posted toCamp Devens,Massachusetts, as a member of the 14th Company of the 151stDepot Brigade.[12] After completing his initial training, McCormack was assigned to the Infantry Replacement Center atCamp Lee,Virginia, to receive officer training.[12] McCormack advanced through the ranks fromprivate tosergeant major, and was attendingOfficer Training School at Camp Lee when theArmistice occurred.[12] He was discharged in late November, following the end of the war.[11][12]
After the war McCormack practiced law and resumed his political career.[11] He soon entered the state legislature, representing the 11th Suffolk District[13] in theHouse from 1920 to 1922 and serving in theSenate from 1923 to 1926, including holding the leadership position of Democratic floor leader in 1925 and 1926.[11] In 1926 he made an unsuccessful primary election run against incumbent CongressmanJames A. Gallivan.[11] McCormack made a favorable impression in a losing cause, leaving him well positioned for a future race.[14] He resumed practicing law, and built a successful career as a trial attorney, which enabled him to enjoy an income that reached $30,000 a year (approximately $400,000 in 2016).[15]
McCormack was selected as a delegate to everystate Democratic convention from 1920 until his retirement.[16] In addition, he was a delegate to theDemocratic National Conventions of1932,1940,1944, and1948.[16]
McCormack's opportunity to run for Congress again came after Gallivan died in 1928.[15] That November McCormack won both the special election to complete Gallivan's term in the U.S. House as well as the general election for a full term.[15] He was reelected 20 times, initially from the 12th District, and from the re-numbered 9th after 1963.[17] McCormack usually won reelection without difficulty, and he served in the House from November 6, 1928, to January 3, 1971 (the70th to91st Congresses).[17] He did not run for reelection in 1970.[18]
At the beginning of his House career, McCormack served on theCommittee on Territories,[19] In his second term, SpeakerJohn Nance Garner appointed McCormack to the powerfulWays and Means Committee, and he served there until 1941.[20]
McCormack maintained a consistently liberal voting record throughout his Congressional career, including support for theNew Deal.[20] In 1934, he served as chairman of theSpecial Committee on Un-American Activities, known as theMcCormack-Dickstein Committee, which investigatedCommunist andNazi propaganda and recruitment efforts in the United States prior toWorld War II.[20][21]
WhenSam Rayburn became Speaker in 1940, he backed McCormack for majority leader, a key factor in McCormack's victory overClifton A. Woodrum.[22] For the next 21 years, McCormack was the second-ranking Democrat in the House;[20] he served as majority leader with Rayburn as Speaker when Democrats had the majority (1939–1947, 1951–1953, 1955–1961), and as minority whip with Rayburn as minority leader when the Republicans controlled the House (1947–1949, 1953–1955).[23]
Always staunch in his opposition to both Communism and Fascism, he played a key role in extending themilitary draft, just before theattack on Pearl Harbor, whenisolationist sentiment and opposition to U.S. involvement inWorld War II were still strong.[20][21]
In March 1946, McCormack spoke at a rally of 20,000 participants inMadison Square Garden, protesting against Britain's recent reversal of its pro-Zionist policies inMandatory Palestine. McCormack accused Britain of using itsEmpire"against those stoned survivors, whom Hitler did not quite succeed in exterminating."[24]
He was chairman of the Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration in the85th Congress (1957 to 1959).[25] In that role, he introduced and secured passage of the bill that created theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).[25]
McCormack voted in favor of theCivil Rights Act of 1957,[26][27] and voted in favor of the initial House resolution for theCivil Rights Act of 1960 on March 24, 1960,[28] but did not vote on the Senate amendment to the bill on April 21, 1960.[29]
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After Rayburn's death in November 1961, McCormack acted as Speaker until winning election to the post in early 1962; he served from January 1962 until retiring from the House in 1971.[18] McCormack's nine years as Speaker were dominated by House passage ofGreat Society legislation during the administration ofLyndon B. Johnson, including laws to expandcivil rights, access to publiceducation, andhealth care for the elderly.[20]
McCormack was the first Catholic to be elected Speaker, and some critics complained that his religion sometimes showed in his leadership qualities.[20] As an example, during the 1961 debate on federal aid to schools, McCormack insisted that church schools should be included, and the bill died because of disagreement over this issue.[20] In 1963, McCormack changed his position, and oversaw passage of an aid bill devoted primarily to public schools.[20]
The latter part of McCormack's tenure increasingly focused on the debate over theVietnam War, which he supported.[20] McCormack's demeanor changed during these years and he reminded some observers of a kindly elder relative attempting to provide wisdom and guidance to unruly younger family members.[20] According to House members, McCormack's strength was his personal consideration of members, which inspired them to return his affection and sparked a desire to work with him.[20] His weakness was that the seniority system created entrenched committee chairmen who wielded great power in the House, but could not be controlled by the Speaker.[20] As Speaker, McCormack pursued a national agenda; he was proud of fighting for passage of farm bills, though he said he did not have "more than five flower pots in my whole district."[20]
Between theassassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, and the swearing-in ofHubert Humphrey asVice President on January 20, 1965, McCormack was first in theline of succession, thus he receivedSecret Service protection.[30]
In January 1969,Arizona representativeMorris Udall attempted to unseat McCormack as Speaker.[20] In 1970, the political attacks increased and several representatives urged McCormack to step down because of his age.[31]Jerome R. Waldie ofCalifornia asked a party caucus to declare a lack of confidence in his leadership, which it refused to do.[31] McCormack decided not to run for reelection to the House in early 1970, but kept his decision secret until he announced it publicly in May.[31] McCormack was succeeded as Representative in 1971 byLouise Day Hicks,[32] and as Speaker byCarl Albert.[33]
In retirement, McCormack lived in Boston.[20] He died ofpneumonia in aDedham nursing home on November 22, 1980.[20] He was buried at Saint Joseph Cemetery inWest Roxbury, Massachusetts.[34]
In 1983, theUniversity of Massachusetts Boston established theJohn W. McCormack Institute of Public Affairs.[11] In 1985, the university dedicated John W. McCormack Hall, which was named in McCormack's honor.[35] In 2003, the McCormack Institute was expanded into a graduate school.[36] In 2010, the school expanded its mission again, and it was renamed the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies.[36] The McCormack Graduate School's mission currently includes training in social justice, government accountability and transparency, and strengthening democratic institutions.[36]
TheJohn W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse in Boston was built in the early 1930s, and was renamed in McCormack's honor.[37] It was designated a Boston landmark by the city Landmarks Commission in 1998, and in 2011 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[38]
John W. McCormack Middle School inDorchester was also named for him.[37]
A Massachusetts state government office building at Ashburton Place in Boston is also named for McCormack.[39]
In 1920, McCormack married Marguerite Harriet Joyce (usually known as Harriet or M. Harriet); she was seven years older than McCormack and pursuing a career as an opera singer, avocation she gave up after their wedding.[11] The McCormacks had no children.[11] While Congress was in session, they lived at theWashington Hotel.[11]
Stories about McCormack's devotion to his wife became legendary; his friends and colleagues claimed that they always had dinner together, no matter how late McCormack worked, and that they never spent a night apart.[11] McCormack and his wife were devoutRoman Catholics, and he was aKnight of Columbus;[40] both were honored by theVatican in recognition of their work on behalf of the church.[20] Harriet McCormack died at age 87 in December 1971, following a long hospitalization.[20][41] For more than a year, McCormack had spent every night in an adjoining hospital room.[20]
Edward J. McCormack Jr., the son of McCormack's brother Edward ("Knocko"), served asMassachusetts Attorney General from 1958 to 1963.[42] He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination forUnited States Senator in 1962, and the unsuccessful Democratic nominee forGovernor of Massachusetts in the1966 election.[42]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| External videos | |
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 Presentation by Garrison Nelson onJohn William McCormack: A Political Biography at the Massachusetts Historical Society, September 20, 2017,C-SPAN |
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