Francis Bellotti
Francis Bellotti | |
|---|---|
 Bellotti in 1984 | |
| 54th Massachusetts Attorney General | |
| In office 1975–1987 | |
| Governor | Michael Dukakis Edward J. King |
| Preceded by | Robert H. Quinn |
| Succeeded by | James Shannon |
| 61st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 3, 1963 – January 7, 1965 | |
| Governor | Endicott Peabody |
| Preceded by | Edward F. McLaughlin, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Elliot Richardson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Francis Xavier Bellotti May 3, 1923 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Margarita Wang[1][2] |
| Children | 12 |
| Education | Tufts University (BA) Boston College (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Rank | Lieutenant (junior grade) |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Francis Xavier Bellotti (born May 3, 1923) is an American lawyer and politician. In his first campaign he was the Democratic nominee for District Attorney of Norfolk County in 1958, but was defeated in the general election.[3] In 1962 Bellotti was elected as Lieutenant Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1963 to 1965.
In 1964 he had challenged the sitting governor of his own party, Endicott Peabody, and defeated him in the Democratic Primary; but lost in the general election to John Volpe who thus regained the seat he had lost in 1962. From 1975 to 1987 he served three terms as Massachusetts Attorney General. In that capacity he instilled professionalism among his staff, was a leader for civil rights and served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General. He sought the nomination of the Democratic party for governor in 1970 and in 1990, but was defeated in the Democratic primary election in both elections losing to Kevin White and John Silber respectively.
In his official capacity for the state he was the named party in the commercial speech case: First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, 435 U.S. 765 (1978), which established that corporations have some free speech rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.[4]
Bellotti was born in Boston.[5][6] He graduated from Tufts University in 1947 and received his law degree from Boston College in 1952. He served in the United States Navy during World War II reaching the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade).[1] Since leaving office, Bellotti has practiced law in Boston, Massachusetts, with the firm of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo. He is the father of twelve children, including Norfolk County Sheriff Michael G. Bellotti.
In 2012, the district courthouse in Quincy, Massachusetts, was named in his honor.[7]
He is currently the Vice Chairman of Arbella Insurance Group.[8]
References
- ^ a b Man in the News; Massachusetts Victor; Francis Xavier Bellotti (New York Times, September 12, 1964)
- ^ Francis Bellotti Jr. Obituary
- ^ "Frank Bellotti, former MA politician, reflects on his legal/political career". Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. April 3, 2006. Archived from the original on December 10, 2009.
- ^ "First National Bank v. Bellotti". FindLaw.
- ^ RM-612. Council of State Governments. 1977. p. 1956.
- ^ "Bellotti, Francis X." Our Campaigns.
- ^ Byrne, Matt (September 24, 2012). "Quincy courthouse renamed for Francis Bellotti: Ex-attorney general honored for service". The Boston Globe.
- ^ "Francis X. Bellotti : Executive Profile & Biography". Retrieved March 30, 2019.
External links
- Vitale, Peter (June 24, 2011). "Francis X. Bellotti, Three-Term Massachusetts Attorney General: A Political Machine Rebel". Post-Gazette. pp. 10–11.
- Mintz, Levin biography
- Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory profile
- Getty Images
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- Living people
- 1923 births
- Massachusetts Attorneys General
- Lieutenant Governors of Massachusetts
- Massachusetts lawyers
- Tufts University alumni
- Boston College Law School alumni
- Catholics from Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Democrats
- 20th-century American politicians
- American naval personnel of World War II
- United States Navy officers
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