John A. Volpe

John A. Volpe
Volpe as Transportation Secretary
2nd United States Secretary of Transportation
In office January 22, 1969 – February 2, 1973
President	Richard M. Nixon
Preceded by	Alan S. Boyd
Succeeded by	Claude S. Brinegar
61st & 63rd Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 5, 1961 – January 3, 1963 January 7, 1965 – January 22, 1969
Lieutenant	Edward F. McLaughlin, Jr. Elliot Richardson Francis W. Sargent
Preceded by	Foster Furcolo Endicott Peabody
Succeeded by	Endicott Peabody Francis W. Sargent
United States Ambassador to Italy
In office March 6, 1973 – January 24, 1977
Preceded by	Graham Martin
Succeeded by	Richard N. Gardner
Personal details
Born	John Anthony Volpe (1908-12-08)December 8, 1908 Wakefield, Massachusetts, United States
Died	November 11, 1994(1994-11-11) (aged 85) Nahant, Massachusetts, United States
Resting place	Forest Glade Cemetery, Wakefield, Massachusetts, United States
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jennie Volpe
Children	John Anthony Volpe Jr. Loretta Jean Volpe Rotondi
Residence	Wakefield, Massachusetts, United States
Alma mater	Wentworth Institute of Technology
Profession	Politician
Religion	Roman Catholic
Military service
Service/branch	United States Navy
Unit	Seabees Instructor

John Anthony Volpe (/ˈvoʊlpi/; December 8, 1908 – November 11, 1994) was the 61st and 63rd Governor of Massachusetts and a U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

Early life and education

Volpe was born on December 8, 1908 in Wakefield, Massachusetts.^[1] He was the son of Italian immigrants Vito and Filomena (Benedetto), who had come from Abruzzo to Boston's North End in 1905; his father was in the construction business.

Volpe attended the Wentworth Institute (later known as the Wentworth Institute of Technology) in Boston where he majored in architectural construction and entered the construction business, building his own firm in 1930.^[2] On June 18, 1934, Volpe married the former Giovaninna Benedetto known as Jennie, with whom he had two children, (John Anthony, Jr. and Loretta Jean Volpe Rotondi).

During World War II, he volunteered to serve stateside as a United States Navy Seabees training officer.

Early career

In 1953, he was appointed as the Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Works, and in 1956 he was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as the first administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.

Governor of Massachusetts

In 1960, Volpe was elected Governor of Massachusetts, defeating Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Joseph D. Ward. He served as Governor from 1961 to 1963. In 1962, Volpe was narrowly defeated for reelection, losing to former Governor's Councillor Endicott Peabody. Peabody had been a close friend of then President John F. Kennedy. In 1964, Volpe ran again for Governor and was able to capitalize on fratricide within the Massachusetts Democratic Party when then Lieutenant Governor Francis X. Bellotti defeated Governor Endicott Peabody for the Democratic nomination for Governor. Despite the Democratic landslide nationwide that year, Volpe was able to defeat Bellotti in a close race. In 1966, Volpe was elected to the first four-year term in Massachusetts history, defeating former Massachusetts Attorney General Edward J. McCormack, Jr.

During his administration, Governor Volpe signed legislation to ban racial imbalances in education, reorganized the state's Board of Education, liberalized birth control laws, and increased public housing for low-income families. Governor Volpe also raised revenues by his long, and ultimately successful, fight to institute a three percent state sales tax. He served as President of the National Governors Association from 1967 to 1968.

Presidential campaign

In 1968, Governor Volpe ran unsuccessfully as a "Favorite son" candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. He was defeated in the state presidential primary by a spontaneous write-in campaign for New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. It was widely believed that he was hoping to be chosen as his party's candidate for Vice President.

Secretary of Transportation

Following the election of President Richard M. Nixon, Volpe was named Secretary of Transportation. He resigned as Governor to assume the cabinet post, and served in that position from 1969 to 1973. During his administration as Secretary of Transportation, Amtrak was created.

Ambassador to Italy

In 1973, Volpe was nominated by President Nixon and confirmed by the United States Senate as United States Ambassador to Italy, a position he held until 1977.

Death and legacy

Volpe died in Nahant, Massachusetts on November 11, 1994, at the age of 85. Volpe was buried at the Forest Glade Cemetery in Wakefield, Massachusetts.^[3]

The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge was named in his memory, as well as the Governor John A. Volpe Library at Wakefield High School in Wakefield. The papers of John A. Volpe are in the Archives and Special Collections of the Northeastern University Libraries, in Boston.^[4]

References

External links

• Official Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Biography

v t e United States Secretaries of Transportation Boyd Volpe Brinegar Coleman Adams Goldschmidt Lewis Dole Burnley Skinner Card Peña Slater Mineta Peters LaHood Foxx

v t e Governors of Massachusetts Colony (1629–1686) Endecott Winthrop T. Dudley Haynes Vane Winthrop T. Dudley Bellingham Winthrop Endecott T. Dudley Winthrop Endecott T. Dudley Endecott Bellingham Endecott Bellingham Leverett Bradstreet Dominion (1686–1689) J. Dudley Andros Bradstreet Province (1692–1776) W. Phips Stoughton Bellomont Stoughton Governor's Council J. Dudley Governor's Council J. Dudley Tailer Shute Dummer Burnet Dummer Tailer Belcher Shirley S. Phips Shirley S. Phips Governor's Council Pownall Hutchinson Bernard Hutchinson Gage Commonwealth (since 1776) Hancock Cushing Bowdoin Hancock Adams Sumner Gill Governor's Council Strong Sullivan Lincoln, Sr. Gore Gerry Strong Brooks Eustis Morton Lincoln, Jr. Davis Armstrong Everett Morton Davis Morton Briggs Boutwell Clifford E. Washburn Gardner Banks Andrew Bullock Claflin W. Washburn Talbot Gaston Rice Talbot Long Butler Robinson Ames Brackett Russell Greenhalge Wolcott Crane Bates Douglas Guild Draper Foss Walsh McCall Coolidge Cox Fuller Allen Ely Curley Hurley Saltonstall Tobin Bradford Dever Herter Furcolo Volpe Peabody Volpe Sargent Dukakis King Dukakis Weld Cellucci Swift Romney Patrick Italics indicate acting officeholders

v t e Cabinet of President Richard Nixon (1969–1974) Vice President Spiro T. Agnew (1969–73) Gerald R. Ford (1973–74) Secretary of State William P. Rogers (1969–1973) Henry A. Kissinger (1973–1974) Secretary of the Treasury David M. Kennedy (1969–1971) John B. Connally (1971–1972) George P. Shultz (1972–1974) William E. Simon (1974) Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird (1969–1973) Elliot L. Richardson (1973) James R. Schlesinger (1973–1974) Attorney General John N. Mitchell (1969–1972) Richard G. Kleindienst (1972–1973) Elliot L. Richardson (1973) William B. Saxbe (1974) Postmaster General Winton M. Blount (1969–1971) Secretary of the Interior Walter J. Hickel (1969–1970) Rogers C. B. Morton (1970–1974) Secretary of Agriculture Clifford M. Hardin (1969–1971) Earl L. Butz (1971–1974) Secretary of Commerce Maurice H. Stans (1969–1972) Peter G. Peterson (1972–1973) Frederick B. Dent (1973–74) Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz (1969–1970) James D. Hodgson (1970–1973) Peter J. Brennan (1973–1974) Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Robert H. Finch (1969–1970) Elliot L. Richardson (1970–1973) Caspar W. Weinberger (1973–1974) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development George W. Romney (1969–1973) James T. Lynn (1973–1974) Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe (1969–1973) Claude S. Brinegar (1973–1974)