Mayor Maurice J. Tobin scrapbooks

Collection

Identifier: 0241.001

Staff Only

Scope and Contents note

The records in this series include scrapbooks containing solely newspaper clippings. Box 1 contains a black book with no visible volume number that contains newspaper clippings from Tobin's campaigning days. Boxes 1 and 2 cover the years 1940 to 1942 which is the bulk of Tobin's time as mayor and neither box contains notable gaps. Box 3 continues the timeline of prior 2 boxes but with an 8 month gap between the last two volumes and the volume before it. Box #4 is timelined from 1942 to 1944 with an almost year long gap between the last volume and the second to last volume.

Dates

Creation: 1937-1943 with gaps

Creator

Tobin, Maurice J. (Person)

Biographical note

Tobin’s political career began as a protégé to the famous Boston city mayor, James Michael Curley. While under Curley's tutoring, he was elected into the Massachusetts House of Representatives where he served from 1927 to 1929 at the age of 25. He served on the Boston School Committee from 1931 to 1937, where he subsequently ran for mayor of Boston in 1937, defeating Curley for the bid. His first few years as mayor produced numerous changes, including but not limited to: cutting expenditures, cutting department head salaries, endorsement of sales taxes, a debt reduction of $5 million, and the alleviation of wartime fiscal strains.

In addition to change, Tobin's mayoral term witnessed two major events in Boston's history. The first event was the hurricane of 1938 which killed hundreds throughout New England and overall caused $306 million in damages. The second event was the now famous Coconut Grove nightclub fire on November 28, 1942 which killed close to 500. These events lead to an increased focus on inspectional procedures that had oft been overlooked.

Tobin's first term as mayor ended in 1941 where he went for re-election against James Curley once more. He won his second term and would continue as mayor of Boston from 1942 to 1944. In the third year of his second term he, campaigned to become governor of Massachusetts where he would serve from 1945 to 1947. Though campaigning for re-election, he was defeated by his Lieutenant Governor Robert F. Bradford and therefore did not serve a second term. Tobin then went on to be a staunch supporter of Harry S. Truman for President. Once Truman was elected Tobin served as Secretary of Labor from 1948 to 1953. Maurice Tobin passed away at the age of 52 on July 19, 1953.