John F. Collins (1919-1995) was the
mayor of
Boston, Massachusetts,
United States from 1960 to 1968.
Biography
John Collins was born in
Roxbury, Massachusetts on July 20, 1919.
[O'Connor, T.H. (1997). Boston Irish: A Political History. New York: Back Bay Books.] In 1941 he graduated from
Suffolk University Law School.
He served a tour in the Army during World War II and four years later was elected to the Massachusetts state Senate.
Collins spent two terms as senator and then ran unsuccessfully for state attorney general in 1954.
While campaigning for a seat on the
City Council in 1955, he contracted polio, but continued with his campaign despite warnings from his doctors.
He was elected to the Council and the following year was appointed to register of probate for Suffolk County.
In 1959, he ran against John E. Powers for Mayor of Boston. Collins was widely viewed as the underdog in the race.
After leaving office in 1968, Collins held visiting and consulting professorships at
MIT for 13 years. On
November 23 1995, Collins died of
pneumonia in
Boston, MA. He was buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in
West Roxbury, MA. On November 28, 1995, Cardinal
Bernard Law celebrated a funeral Mass at Boston's
Holy Cross Cathedral for John F. Collins.
