Edward J. McCormack
| Edward J. McCormack Jr. | |
|---|---|
| 50th Massachusetts Attorney General | |
|
In office 1958–1963 |
|
| Preceded by | George Fingold |
| Succeeded by | Edward Brooke |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 29, 1923 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died | February 27, 1997 (aged 73) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy Boston University School of Law |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Edward Joseph McCormack Jr. (August 29, 1923 – February 27, 1997) was Massachusetts Attorney General from 1959 through 1963.
A member of an influential political family of Irish descent, McCormack was a son of Edward Joseph "Knocko" McCormack, Sr., a prominent Boston political figure, and a nephew of John William McCormack, who became Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. McCormack when young was described as tall and handsome, with dark blond hair. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1947 and was first in his class at Boston University School of Law (1952).
McCormack was serving as a member of the Boston City Council in 1958 when he ran for Attorney General in the Democratic Primary. Following the death of the sitting Attorney General, George Fingold on August 31, 1958, the Massachusetts Legislature met in Joint Convention on September 5 to elect a successor, but was unable to agree on a candidate. It was then voted to schedule another Joint Convention for the following week, after the primaries, when it would be possible for the Democratic-controlled Joint Convention to elect the winner of the Democratic primary.
On September 11, 1958, after winning the Democratic primary for Attorney General, McCormack was elected shortly after midnight by an extended Joint Convention of the Legislature. He was sworn in later the same day. He was elected in November by the voters and served two full two-year terms as Attorney General from 1959 until 1963. His tenure was known for a strong record on civil rights.
In the 1962 U.S. Senate special election in Massachusetts, McCormack faced off in the Democratic primary against Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy, who was running for the Senate seat vacated by his brother John upon becoming President of the United States. Critics said the current (appointed) senator, Ben Smith who was a close friend of the Kennedy family, was intended all along to simply be a "seat-warmer" until Ted Kennedy turned thirty (the minimum age provided by the U.S. Constitution for eligibility to serve in the Senate). Smith initially planned to run in the special election to complete the rest of the term, however he backed off when polls showed that he would suffer certain defeat to McCormack in the primary. Kennedy faced the notion that with brother John as President and Robert as U.S. Attorney General, "Don't you think that Teddy is one Kennedy too many?"
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