John Francis Kennedy (August 1, 1905 – May 13, 1994) was the Treasurer of Massachusetts from 1955 to 1961. Kennedy worked as a supervisor in the miscellaneous small parts stockroom for

Gillette Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The ...

Canton, Massachusetts Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,370 at the 2020 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of downtown Boston. History The area that would becom ...

, before seeking public office. Kennedy first sought the office of Treasurer in 1952, losing the

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

primary to Foster Furcolo. Kennedy sought the office again in 1954, defeating the party endorsed candidate (

Clement A. Riley Clement A. Riley (November 20, 1905 – May 31, 1988) was a Massachusetts politician who served as the Massachusetts Registrar of Motor Vehicles from 1957 to 1963. A nine-year member of the Norwood Board of Selectmen, Riley was appointed to the ...

) and a third candidate ( William F. Carr) in the Primary. Kennedy then defeated Republican

Augustus Gardner Means Augustus Gardner Means (June 8, 1925 – April 18, 1994) was an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Governor's Council. He was also the Republican nomin ...

to win the office. Kennedy's electoral success is widely seen to be a result of him having the same name as then-Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy. Kennedy's campaigns consisted of him spending $200 total ($100 for the primary, $100 for the general election) and bypassing a party convention to directly compete in the primary. After serving three terms as Treasurer, Kennedy sought the office of

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachuse ...

in 1960. Kennedy finished in 5th place (of 7 candidates) with 8.85%. The 1960 Massachusetts primary included six John Kennedys seeking various office. John Kennedy of Canton (The State Treasurer) sought the office of governor. John B. Kennedy of Saugus and John M. Kennedy of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

both sought the office of state treasurer. John Kennedy of Braintree sought the office of Norfolk county commissioner. Two John Kennedys (from Everett and

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymout ...

) both sought seats in the

Massachusetts State House The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the New State House, is the state capitol and seat of government for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. The buildin ...

. In the State Treasurer's race, Kennedy of Saugus finished third and Kennedy of Boston finished 5th in a six-man field.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, John Francis State treasurers of Massachusetts Massachusetts Democrats 1905 births 1994 deaths Politicians from Boston 20th-century American politicians