John William McCormack

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John William McCormack (December 21, 1891 – November 22, 1980) was an American politician from Boston, Massachusetts.

McCormack served as a member of United States House of Representatives from 1928 until he retired from political life in 1971. A Democrat, McCormack served as House Majority Leader thrice, the first time from 1940 to 1947, the second time from 1949 to 1953, and again from 1955 to 1962. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1961 until 1971.

In 1934 he served as chair of the House Un-American Activities Committee. The main goal of HUAC at that time was investigating Nazi propaganda.

[edit] Speaker

His tenure was marked with an undercurrent of dissent among younger, liberal Democratic members who chomped at the bit for committee assignments and complained that power was centered in a small, old group of Democratic leaders. McCormack, also known as "Old Jawn", did not exert much pressure on such party rebels. Later, he presided over the issue of refusing to seat Representative Adam Clayton Powell (D-NY). The incident resulted in the Speaker being named in a noted United States Supreme Court case, Powell v. McCormack, with Powell prevailing.

Between the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 and the swearing-in of Hubert Humphrey as Vice President on January 20, 1965, McCormack was the first person in the line of succession for the Presidency, much like vice president, and he received Secret Service protection. When Kennedy died in 1963, McCormack recalled his experiences serving as next-in-line in an article he wrote for The Boston Globe. He died November 22, 1980

In 1983, the University of Massachusetts Boston established the John W. McCormack Institute of Public Affairs, named in McCormack's honor. In 2003 it was expanded into the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies.

[edit] External links

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Preceded by: James A. Gallivan	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 12th congressional district November 6, 1928 - January 3, 1963	Succeeded by: Hastings Keith
Preceded by: Sam Rayburn	House Majority Leader September 16, 1940 – January 3, 1947	Succeeded by: Charles A. Halleck
Preceded by: Charles A. Halleck	House Majority Leader January 3, 1949 – January 2, 1953	Succeeded by: Charles A. Halleck
Preceded by: Charles A. Halleck	House Majority Leader 1955-1961	Succeeded by: Carl Albert
Preceded by: Sam Rayburn	Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives January 10, 1962–January 3, 1963; January 9, 1963–January 3, 1965; January 4, 1965–January 3, 1967; January 10, 1967–January 3, 1971	Succeeded by: Carl Albert
Preceded by: Hastings Keith	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 9th congressional district January 3, 1963 - January 3, 1971	Succeeded by: Louise Day Hicks

Speakers of the United States House of Representatives

Muhlenberg • Trumbull • Muhlenberg • Dayton • Sedgwick • Macon • Varnum • Clay • Cheves • Clay • Taylor • Barbour • Clay • Taylor • Stevenson • Bell • Polk • Hunter • White • Jones • Davis • Winthrop • Cobb • Boyd • Banks • Orr • Pennington • Grow • Colfax • Pomeroy • Blaine • Kerr • Randall • Keifer • Carlisle • Reed • Crisp • Reed • Henderson • Cannon • Clark • Gillett • Longworth • Garner • Rainey • Byrns • Bankhead • Rayburn • Martin • Rayburn • Martin • Rayburn • McCormack • Albert • O'Neill • Wright • Foley • Gingrich • Hastert

Majority Leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Payne • Underwood • Kitchin • Mondell • Longworth • Tilson • Rainey • Byrns • Bankhead • Rayburn • McCormack • Halleck • McCormack • Halleck • McCormack • Albert • Boggs • O'Neill • Wright • Foley • Gephardt • Armey • DeLay • Blunt (acting) • Boehner • Hoyer

Minority Whips of the United States House of Representatives
Underwood • Lloyd • Dwight • Burke • Hamilton • Oldfield • McDuffie • Bachmann • Englebright • Arends • McCormack • Arends • McCormack • Arends • Michel • Lott • Cheney • Gingrich • Bonior • Pelosi • Hoyer • Blunt