John J. Mullen (mayor)
| John J. Mullen | |
|---|---|
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Mayor of Everett, Massachusetts |
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In office January 1, 1917 – January 7, 1918 |
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| Preceded by | James Chambers |
| Succeeded by | William E. Weeks |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1875/1876 |
| Died | June 18, 1952 (aged 76) Lynn, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Occupation |
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John J. Mullen (1875/1876 – June 18, 1952) was an American politician who served as Mayor of Everett, Massachusetts from 1917 to 1918.
Mullen began his political career as a member of the Boston Common Council in 1900. During his tenure on the Council he introduced an order to heat all of the city's streets and sidewalks with steam pipes so snow would melt away immediately. He remained on the Council until 1902, when he left Boston to open a plumbing business in Everett. He later owned an auto supply store, worked as a blacksmith, and sold real estate.
Mullen was elected to the Everett Board of Aldermen in 1914, representing Ward 4. In January 1915, Mullen proposed a series of orders that were referred to committees. Each time, he tried to secure a suspension of the rules to have them voted on at the meeting. One of Mullen's proposals, which would abolish the city's Board of Public Works, caused so much noise and applause from the audience that the Chairman threatened to clear the hall. Mayor James Chambers later commented that "Mullen was trying the spend the city's money like a drunken sailor" by proposing several orders that would've increased public expenditure. That March, he walked out of a meeting to avoid voting on the city's budget, which would cause the budget to be referred back to the Finance Committee. Alderman Fred C. Hansen stated that Mullen had "sneaked away like a yellow dog" as part of what The Boston Daily Globe described as "one of the most scathing speeches ever made in the local board by one member to another". At the following meeting he was removed from the chamber by a police officer and suspended for 2 meetings by Board Chairman George W. Faulkner after he refused to come to order. Mullen planned on holding a public meeting in Everett Square on April 15 regarding his suspension, but a Salvation Army band from Malden was playing there and he was unable to speak. After he was refused a permit by the police department, he moved his meeting to the nearest vacant lot. In July he protested the construction of a Benzol manufacturing plant in South Everett. He claimed that he had received death threats over his opposition to the project. On August 2, while the Board and the Common Council were in a joint executive session, Mullen and Hansen got into a physical altercation. Mullen pressed charges against Hansen and he was convicted of assault.
Mullen challenged Mayor Chambers in the 1915 election. He lost by 700 votes.
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