John H. Corcoran

John Hubert Corcoran, Jr. (January 15, 1897 – December 28, 1945) was a Massachusetts politician who served on the Cambridge, Massachusetts City Council and as the Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

John Hubert Corcoran, Jr.
Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts
In office 1942 – December 28, 1945
Preceded by	Francis C. Sennott
Succeeded by	John D. Lynch
Member of the Cambridge, Massachusetts City Council
Personal details
Born	January 15, 1897
Died	December 28, 1945[1] Boston, Massachusetts.[1]
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Harvard University (A.B., M.B.A.)[2]
Military service
Branch/service	Coast Artillery United States Army
Years of service	April 23–December 11, 1918[2]
Rank	Private, Corporal, Lieutenant[2]
Commands	Fort McKinley (Portland, Maine) 33rd Coast Artillery, Camp Abraham (Eustis, Virginia)[2]
Battles/wars	World War I Fort Strong, Boston, Massachusetts. Coast Artillery Officers Training Camp, Fort Monroe, Virginia. Fort McKinley, Portland, Maine. 33rd Coast Artillery, Camp Abraham Eustis, Virginia.

Corcoran's father, John Hubert Corcoran, Sr. was a member and President of the Cambridge Common Council and the Cambridge Board of Aldermen.[3]

Early life

Corcoran was born on January 15, 1897 to John Hubert Corcoran, Sr. and Ann M. (Ford) Corcoran.[3]

Corcoran attended Harvard College, he graduated with an A.B. in 1918.[2]

On April 23, 1918, Corcoran enlisted as a Private in the U.S. Coast Artillery, he was assigned to Fort Strong in Boston Harbor.[2] Corcoran was promoted to Corporal on June 20.[2] On July 4, Corcoran was assigned to the Coast Artillery Officers Training Camp, Fort Monroe, Virginia and promoted to Lieutenant.[2] Corcoran was later transferred to Fort McKinley, Portland, Maine and the 33rd Coast Artillery, Camp Abraham Eustis, Virginia. He was discharged on December 11, 1918.[2]

Corcoran returned to Harvard and received an MBA in June 1920.[2][4] Corcoan wrote his graduate theses on the Departmental Layout of the Proposed store of a Coöperative Society.[4]

Political career

Mayor of Cambridge

Cambridge voters changed the city government from a strong mayor to a Plan E (City Council-City Manager)[1] form of government, with Cambridge having a ceremonial mayor. Corcoran, a member of the Cambridge City Council in 1942 was chosen by his fellow councilors to be City's Ceremonial Mayor.

1944 U.S. Senate campaign

In 1944 Massachusetts held a special election to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.. Lodge had resigned from the Senate to join the Army.[5] Corcoran was the Democratic nominee, he lost the election to Leverett Saltonstall by more than 400,000 votes.[6]

Death

Corcoran died unexpectedly, at age 48, from pneumonia in a Boston, Massachusetts hospital, on December 28, 1945.[1]

Notes

1. Hartford Courant (December 29, 1945), Obituary No. 2, Hartford, CT: The Hartford Courant, p. 4.
2. Mead, Frederick Sumner (1921), Harvard's Military Record in the World War, Boston, MA: The Harvard Alumni Association, p. 216.
3. Cutter, William Richard (1908), Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts; Volume IV, New York, NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, p. 1977.
4. Harvard University (1921), Official Register of Harvard University Vol. XVIII March 3, 1921 No. 7; Reports of the President and Treasurer of Harvard College 1919-1920, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, p. 131.
5. The New York Times (August 28, 1944), HOST OF CHANGES IN SENATE CERTAIN; At Least 10 Incumbents, and Perhaps 12, Will Not Be Up for Re-election, New York, NY: The New York Times, p. 24.
6. The New York Times (November 9, 1944), Summary of the Election Results in the States; WINS SEAT IN SENATE, New York, NY: The New York Times, p. 16.