John Patrick Higgins (February 19, 1893 – August 2, 1955) was an officer in the United States Navy, chemist, attorney, and

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Massachusetts. Higgins was born in Boston, Massachusetts, where he attended the public schools and graduated from Harvard University in 1917. During the First World War, he served as an Ensign in the United States Navy from 1917 until 1919. Returning to civilian life, Higgins was employed as a chemist from 1919 until 1922. He then resumed his academic studies, enrolling in the

Boston University Law School 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 e ...

and Northeastern College of Law in 1925 and 1926. He was admitted to the bar in 1927 and commenced practice in Boston. Entering politics, Higgins was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1929 through 1934. He was elected as a

Democrat 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 ...

to the

Seventy-fourth Congress The 74th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1935, ...

, was unopposed in his re-election to the

Seventy-fifth Congress The 75th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1937 ...

and served from January 3, 1935 until his resignation on September 30, 1937. Higgins was appointed by Gov. Charles F. Hurley on October 1, 1937 as chief justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, in which capacity he served until his death in 1955. He was the first Irish Catholic to be chief justice and the youngest person ever appointed to the post. He was a Knight of Columbus. Appointed in January 1946 by the Justice Department with the approval of President Truman to be the United States judge on the 11 country

International Military Tribunal for the Far East The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), also known as the Tokyo Trial or the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, was a military trial convened on April 29, 1946 to try leaders of the Empire of Japan for crimes against peace, conven ...

at Tokyo, Japan, Judge Higgins resigned in June 1946 to return to his family and his duties as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court. During his Congressional career, Congressman Higgins advocated for improved working conditions and benefits in America and against religious persecution in Mexico. Higgins died in Boston and was interred in St. Joseph Cemetery, West Roxbury, Massachusetts.

References

Works cited

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, John Patrick 1893 births 1955 deaths Democratic Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives United States Navy officers Boston University School of Law alumni Harvard University alumni Politicians from Boston Judges of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East Massachusetts state court judges Military personnel from Massachusetts Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts Northeastern University School of Law alumni Lawyers from Boston American judges of international courts and tribunals 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers

See also

References

Works cited

External links