J. Joseph Curran Jr.
{{short description|American politician}}
{{redirect|J. Joseph Curran|other people named Joseph Curran|Joseph Curran (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = J. Joseph Curran Jr. in 2012.jpg
| caption = Curran in 2012
| name = J. Joseph Curran Jr.
| office = 44th Attorney General of Maryland
| governor = William Donald Schaefer
Parris Glendening
Bob Ehrlich
Martin O'Malley
| term_start = January 21, 1987
| term_end = January 17, 2007
| predecessor = Stephen H. Sachs
| successor = Doug Gansler
| order2 = 4th Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
| term_start2 = January 19, 1983
| term_end2 = January 21, 1987
| governor2 = Harry Hughes
| predecessor2 = Samuel Bogley
| successor2 = Melvin Steinberg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1931|7|7}}
| birth_place = West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
| party = Democratic
| alma_mater = University of Baltimore (BA, LLB)
| spouse = Barbara Marie Atkins
| profession = Attorney
| signature = J. Joseph Curran Jr. signature.svg
| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
| branch = {{air force|United States}}
| serviceyears = 1951–1955
| battles = Korean War
| children = 5, including Katie
| Relatives =
| office4 = Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 3rd district
| termstart4 = January 1959
| termend4 = January 1963
| termstart3 = January 1963
| termend3 = January 1983
| predecessor3 = J. Raymond Buffington, Jr.
| constituency3 = 3rd district (1963–1967)
9th district (1967–1975)
43rd district (1975–1982)
| office3 = Member of the Maryland State Senate
| successor3 = John A. Pica, Jr.
}}
J. Joseph Curran Jr. (born July 7, 1931) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 44th attorney general of Maryland from 1987 to 2007. He served as the fourth lieutenant governor of Maryland from 1983 to 1987.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/07/AR2006050701182.html |title=Curran To Conclude Generation Of Service |last=John |first=Wagner |date=May 8, 2006 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 9, 2008 |archive-date=October 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026104440/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/07/AR2006050701182.html |url-status=live}} Curran is the longest serving elected attorney general in Maryland history. His son-in-law, Martin J. O'Malley, served as the 61st governor of Maryland from 2007 to 2015.
Background
Curran was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, the son of Catherine Mary (Clark) and Baltimore City Council member J. Joseph Curran Sr.{{cite web |url=http://baltimorecitycouncil.com/District3/default.htm |title=Robert Curran, District 3: Baltimore City Council |work=Baltimore City Council |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717234539/http://www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/District3/default.htm |archive-date=July 17, 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.councilmancurran.com/bio/ |title=Bio |work=Councilman Robert Curran |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708222714/http://www.councilmancurran.com/bio/ |archive-date=July 8, 2015}} He attended Baltimore parochial schools. He graduated from Loyola High School and then from the University of Baltimore. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1955. Curran returned to Baltimore and entered the University of Baltimore School of Law where he earned a LL.B. in 1959. Curran was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1959 and is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association.
Career
A Democrat, Curran previously served as the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1983 to 1987 under Governor Harry Hughes. Prior to that, Curran was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1959 to 1963 and the Maryland Senate from 1963 to 1983.{{cite web |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/08conoff/former/html/msa01493.html |title=J. Joseph Curran, Jr., Maryland Attorney General |work=Maryland Manual On-Line |publisher=Maryland State Archives |access-date=January 26, 2024 |date=March 14, 2022 |archive-date=May 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524084333/https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/08conoff/former/html/msa01493.html |url-status=live}}
=Attorney general=
In 1986, Curran was elected attorney general after serving four years as lieutenant governor under Harry Hughes. In 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002, he won re-election. Citing his age and his long career, Curran decided not to seek re-election in 2006, preventing any conflict of interest that might arise in having O'Malley as governor and his father-in-law as attorney general.{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Vogel |title=Rally With a Retirement Twist |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/08/AR2006050800832.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 9, 2006 |page=B02 |access-date=November 2, 2007 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107123049/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/08/AR2006050800832.html |url-status=live}}
Family
Curran is the brother of Martin "Mike" Curran and Robert W. Curran who both also served on the Baltimore City Council.{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/district3/default.htm |title=District 3: Robert Curran |website=Baltimore City Council |access-date=May 9, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509162446/http://www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/District3/default.htm |archive-date=May 9, 2008}}
Curran is married, with four living children, three daughters and one son. His wife, Barbara Curran is an esteemed painter. His youngest daughter, Katie, was a state district court judge (2001–2021) and the wife of former Governor Martin O'Malley. His middle daughter, Alice, is the chief financial officer at Miami Country Day School,{{cite web |url=https://www.miamicountryday.org/about/faculty--staff?2363904_contentId=2363904&2363904_deptId=23087&2363904_gId=&2363904_letter= |title=Faculty and Staff Directory |website=Miami Country Day School |access-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201073443/https://www.miamicountryday.org/about/faculty--staff?2363904_contentId=2363904&2363904_deptId=23087&2363904_gId=&2363904_letter= |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-katie-omalley-20120304-story.html |title=Outspoken first lady fights for those 'on the outside' |date=March 4, 2012 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |first=Annie |last=Linskey |access-date=December 1, 2021 |quote=Siblings: Alice Curran Florin |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201073442/https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-katie-omalley-20120304-story.html |url-status=live}} a private school in South Florida. His son, J. Joseph "Max" Curran, is a partner at the Venable law firm. His eldest daughter, Mary Carole Curran, is an accomplished photographer in Baltimore City. His first cousin was Gerald Curran.{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Jacques|title=Gerald J. Curran, state delegate|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2013/03/28/gerald-j-curran-state-delegate/|access-date=March 30, 2013|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|date=March 28, 2013|archive-date=June 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614034505/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-03-28/news/bs-md-ob-gerald-curran-20130328_1_northeast-baltimore-joseph-curran-sr-lauraville|url-status=live}}
Awards and honors
AARP Maryland named its lifetime achievement award after Curran, which is presented to those "who have exhibited a lifetime of exemplary commitment to volunteerism and civic involvement".{{cite web |url=https://states.aarp.org/maryland/aarp-maryland-announces-honors-for-volunteerism-liftetime-achievement-and-community-service |title=AARP Maryland Announces Honors for Volunteerism, Liftetime Achievement and Community Service |date=October 2021 |website=AARP Maryland |access-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201065419/https://states.aarp.org/maryland/aarp-maryland-announces-honors-for-volunteerism-liftetime-achievement-and-community-service |url-status=live}}
References
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{{succession box | before = Samuel W. Bogley | title = Lieutenant Governor of Maryland | years = 1983–1987 | after = Melvin A. Steinberg}}
{{s-legal}}
{{succession box | before = Stephen H. Sachs | title = Attorney General of Maryland | years = 1987–2007 | after = Doug Gansler}}
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{{Lieutenant Governors of Maryland}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curran, J. Joseph Jr.}}
Category:Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates
Category:Lawyers from Baltimore
Category:Lieutenant governors of Maryland
Category:Maryland attorneys general
Category:Politicians from Baltimore
Category:University of Baltimore School of Law alumni
Category:20th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly