- Belotti shakes hands with Boston Mayor John F. Collins in Collins's office at the Old Boston City Hall (circa 1962)
- Bellotti listens as Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell speaks in recognition of his 100th birthday on May 3, 2023
Francis Bellotti | |
---|---|
39th Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts | |
In office January 2, 1975 –January 3, 1987 | |
Governor | Michael Dukakis Edward J. King |
Preceded by | Robert H. Quinn |
Succeeded by | James Shannon |
61st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts | |
In office January 3,1963 –January 7,1965 | |
Governor | Endicott Peabody |
Preceded by | Edward F. McLaughlin Jr. |
Succeeded by | Elliot Richardson |
Personal details | |
Born | Francis Xavier Bellotti May 3,1923 Boston,Massachusetts,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Margarita Wang [1] [2] |
Children | 12,including Michael |
Education | Tufts University (BA) Boston College (JD) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Navy |
Rank | Lieutenant (junior grade) |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Francis Xavier Bellotti (born May 3,1923) is an American lawyer and politician who served as both the 39th attorney general and the 61st lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
Bellotti was born in Boston,Massachusetts. [3] [4] He graduated from Tufts University in 1947 and received his J.D. degree from Boston College in 1952. He served in the United States Navy during World War II reaching the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade). [1]
In his first campaign for public office, Bellotti was the Democratic nominee for district attorney of Norfolk County in 1958, but was defeated in the general election. [5] In 1962, Bellotti was elected as Lieutenant Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1963 to 1965.
In 1964, he had challenged the sitting governor of his own party, Endicott Peabody, and defeated Peabody in the Democratic primary. However, he went on to lose the general election to John A. Volpe, with Volpe regaining the seat that he had lost two years earlier. In 1966, Belloti was the Democratic nominee for Massachusetts attorney general, but was defeated by Republican Elliot Richardson. [6] Being subsequently elected to that position in 1974, from 1975 until 1987 Bellotti served three terms as attorney general. In that capacity, he instilled professionalism among his staff, was a leader for civil rights and served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General. He sought the nomination of the Democratic party for governor in 1970 and in 1990, but was defeated in the Democratic primary election in both elections losing to Kevin White and John Silber respectively.
In his official capacity for the state, he was the named party in the commercial speech case: First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti , 435 U.S. 765 (1978), which established that corporations have some free speech rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. [7]
After leaving office, Bellotti has practiced law in Boston with the firm of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo.[ citation needed ]
In 2012, the district courthouse in Quincy, Massachusetts, was named in his honor. [8]
He is currently the Vice Chairman of Arbella Insurance Group. [9]
He turned 100 on May 3, 2023. [10] [11]
He is the father of twelve children, including Norfolk County Sheriff Michael G. Bellotti.[ citation needed ]
Endicott Howard Peabody was an American politician from Massachusetts. A Democrat, he served a single two-year term as the 62nd Governor of Massachusetts, from 1963 to 1965. His tenure is probably best known for his categorical opposition to the death penalty and for signing into law the bill establishing the University of Massachusetts Boston. After losing the 1964 Democratic gubernatorial primary, Peabody made several more failed bids for office in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including failed campaigns for the U.S. Senate in 1966 and 1986.
John Anthony Volpe was an American businessman, diplomat, and politician from Massachusetts. A son of Italian immigrants, he founded and owned a large construction firm. Politically, he was a Republican in increasingly Democratic Massachusetts, serving as its 61st and 63rd Governor from 1961 to 1963 and 1965 to 1969, as the United States Secretary of Transportation from 1969 to 1973, and as the United States Ambassador to Italy from 1973 to 1977. As Secretary of Transportation, Volpe was an important figure in the development of the Interstate Highway System at the federal level.
The 1990 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990. Incumbent Democratic Governor Michael Dukakis, his party's nominee for president in 1988, opted to not seek a fourth term. Republican Bill Weld won the open seat, beating Democrat John Silber to become the first Republican Governor of Massachusetts elected since 1970. This election was the first open-seat gubernatorial election in Massachusetts since 1960.
The Massachusetts Democratic Party (MassDems) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts. It is chaired by Steve Kerrigan and is the dominant party in the state, controlling all nine of the state's U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, all six elected statewide offices including the governorship, and supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature.
The 1966 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 8, 1966. Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall retired after serving for 22 years. Republican Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke defeated Democratic former Governor of Massachusetts Endicott Peabody in a landslide.
Joseph D. Ward was an American politician who served as Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth from January 1959 to January 1961.
Edward T. Martin (1910–1984) was an American attorney and judge who served as Attorney General of Massachusetts for sixteen days in 1967.
The 1970 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970. Acting Governor Francis W. Sargent was elected to a four-year term. He defeated incumbent Boston Mayor Kevin H. White in the general election.
The 1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent Governor Endicott Peabody ran for re-election, but was defeated by then-Lieutenant Governor Francis X. Bellotti in the Democratic Party primary. Bellotti went on to lose the general election to former Governor John Volpe.
The 1960 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1960. John A. Volpe was elected Governor of Massachusetts to replace Foster Furcolo. Volpe defeated Democrat Joseph D. Ward in the race. Also running were Henning A. Blomen of the Socialist Labor Party of America and Guy S. Williams of the Prohibition Party.
Michael G. Bellotti is an American politician who is the current Norfolk County Treasurer. He is the former interim president of Quincy College, the former sheriff of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, and is a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from Quincy. He is the son of Francis X. Bellotti, the state's former lieutenant governor and attorney general.
The 1974 Massachusetts general election was held on November 5, 1974, throughout Massachusetts. Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in party primaries held September 10, 1974.
The 1966 Massachusetts general election was held on November 8, 1966, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on September 13.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 3, 1964, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 6, 1962, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 8, 1960, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Gerard Francis Doherty was an American political figure who was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1957 to 1965 and Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party from 1962 to 1967.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 4, 1958, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 4, 1952 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on September 16.
The 1944 Massachusetts general election was held on November 7, 1944, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on July 11.