Frederick Bancroft Willis (May 18, 1904 – October 2, 1971) was an American politician who served as

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

from 1945 to 1948.

Early life

Willis was born on May 18, 1904, in

Saugus, Massachusetts Saugus is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 28,619 at the 2020 census. Saugus is known as the site of the first integrated iron works in North America. History Native Americans ...

. He attended Saugus High School,

Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in Charlotte, North Ca ...

, and the

Boston University School of Law Boston University School of Law (Boston Law or BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States and considered an eli ...

Political career

Willis was a member of the Saugus School Committee from 1930 to 1936. He also worked as the Town Counsel and Secretary of Assessors. From 1937 to 1949 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In 1939 he was appointed Chairman of the Commission on Civil Service. While serving in this role he authored the Civil Service Reform Act. From 1943 to 1944 he was the House Majority Leader, Chairman of the Special Commission on Postwar Rehabilitation, and Chairman on the House Committee on Aeronautics. While on the Aeronautics Committee, Willis helped turn

Logan Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partial ...

into a modern facility. Willis was Speaker of the House from 1944 to 1948. He served as a delegate to

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * Januar ...

and

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

. He did not run for reelection after the 1948-49 legislative session, instead he became Counsel to the House of Representatives. Willis remained House Counsel until his retirement in 1969.

Later life, death, and legacy

After leaving the House, Willis moved to

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...

. Willis died on October 2, 1971, in Lynn. The Frederick B. Willis Fishing Pier in Lynn is dedicated to him.

References

1904 births 1971 deaths Boston University School of Law alumni Northeastern University alumni Politicians from Lynn, Massachusetts People from Saugus, Massachusetts Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives School board members in Massachusetts 20th-century American politicians {{Massachusetts-MARepresentative-stub

Early life

Political career

Later life, death, and legacy

See also

References