John Joseph Craven Jr. (February 27, 1936 – November 22, 2011) was an American jurist and politician who was a member of the

Massachusetts Governor's Council The Massachusetts Governor's Council (also known as the Executive Council) is a governmental body that provides advice and consent in certain matterssuch as judicial nominations, pardons, and commutationsto the Governor of Massachusetts. Council ...

and

Boston School Committee Boston Public Schools (BPS) is a school district serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest public school district in the state of Massachusetts. Leadership The district is led by a Superintendent, hired by the ...

and a judge on the Boston Juvenile Court.

Early life

Craven was born on February 27, 1936, in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. His parents, John J. and Katherine Craven, were both politicians. Craven graduated from Roxbury Latin School in 1952,

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

in 1956, and the Portia School of Law in 1962.

Political career

Craven was an unsuccessful candidate for the Massachusetts Senate in 1964. From 1967 to 1969, he represented the 2nd district on the Massachusetts Governor's Council. He unsuccessfully ran for sheriff of Suffolk County rather than seeking reelection. In 1969, Craven was elected to the Boston School Committee. He was one of the committee's more conservative members and opposed efforts to

desegregate Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...

the city's schools. In 1970, he sought the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, but finished fifth out of five candidates with 8% of the vote. In 1971, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the

Boston City Council The Boston City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is made up of 13 members: 9 district representatives and 4 at-large members. Councillors are elected to two-year terms and there is no ...

. In 1973, Craven was appointed clerk of the Boston Municipal Court for criminal business by Governor

Francis Sargent Francis Williams Sargent (July 29, 1915 – October 22, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 64th governor of Massachusetts from 1969 to 1975. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 63rd Lieutenant Govern ...

. In 1982, he was appointed to a judgeship on the Boston Juvenile Court by Governor

Edward J. King Edward Joseph King (May 11, 1925 – September 18, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 66th Governor of Massachusetts from 1979 to 1983. A member of the Democratic Party until 1985, he then became a member of the Republican ...

. He retired from the bench in 2005. Craven died on November 22, 2011, in

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Chestnut Hill is an affluent New England village located west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Like all Massachusetts villages, Chestnut Hill is located within one or more incorporated municipal entities. It is located partia ...

, of complications of Lewy body dementia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craven Jr., John J. 1936 births 2011 deaths Boston School Committee members Harvard College alumni Lawyers from Boston Massachusetts Democrats Massachusetts state court judges Members of the Massachusetts Governor's Council New England Law Boston alumni Roxbury Latin School alumni