Joseph William Martin, Jr.

official portrait of U.S. House Speaker Joseph William Martin, Jr., Bioguide.Congress

Date of Birth: November 3, 1884

Place of Birth: North Attleborough, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States

Date of Death: March 6, 1968

Place of Death: Hollywood, Florida, U.S.

Ethnicity: English, Irish

Joseph William Martin, Jr., also known as Joseph W. Martin, Jr., was an American politician. A Republican, he served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, from January 3, 1947 to January 3, 1949, and again, from January 3, 1953 to January 3, 1955. He was the only Republican to serve as Speaker from the period between 1931 to 1995. He was also a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts, from March 4, 1925 to January 3, 1967, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, from 1940 to 1942; and House Minority Leader, from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1947, again, from January 3, 1949 to January 3, 1953, and again, from January 3, 1955 to January 3, 1959.

He was a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1948.

Speaker Martin was the son of Catherine (Katon) and Joseph William Martin. His father was born in New York, to English parents. His mother was born in New Jersey, to Irish parents.

Sources: Joseph William Martin, Jr. on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Joseph William Martin, Jr. on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org