John J. Craven Jr.
{{Short description|American jurist and politician (1936–2011)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image =
|imagesize =
| name = John J. Craven Jr.
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|02|27}}
| birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2011|11|22|1936|02|27}}
| death_place = Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U.S.
|restingplace = Mount Benedict Cemetery
West Roxbury, Massachusetts, U.S.
| website =
| occupation = Lawyer
| residence =
| party = Democratic
| spouse = Patricia McCarthy (m. 1970)
| children = 3
| alma_mater = Harvard College
Portia School of Law
| title = Member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council from the 2nd District
| term_start = 1967
| term_end = 1969
| predecessor = Margaret Heckler
| successor = Herb Connolly
}}
John Joseph Craven Jr. (February 27, 1936 – November 22, 2011) was an American jurist and politician who was a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council and Boston School Committee and a judge on the Boston Juvenile Court.
Early life
Craven was born on February 27, 1936, in Boston. His parents, John J. and Katherine Craven, were both politicians. Craven graduated from Roxbury Latin School in 1952, Harvard College in 1956, and the Portia School of Law in 1962.
Political career
Craven was an unsuccessful candidate for the Massachusetts Senate in 1964.{{cite news |title=Craven Seeks Senate Seat |work=The Boston Globe |date=June 28, 1964}} From 1967 to 1969, he represented the 2nd district on the Massachusetts Governor's Council.{{cite book |title=Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1967-68 |page=29 |url=https://archive.org/details/publicofficersof19671968bost/page/28/mode/2up?view=theater |access-date=25 April 2024}} He unsuccessfully ran for sheriff of Suffolk County rather than seeking reelection.{{cite news |last1=Ellis |first1=David |title=13 Seek to Be Suffolk Sheriff |work=The Boston Globe |date=July 17, 1968}} In 1969, Craven was elected to the Boston School Committee. He was one of the committee's more conservative members and opposed efforts to desegregate the city's schools.{{cite news |title=Besieged John Craven seeks seat on Council |work=The Boston Globe |date=October 15, 1971}} In 1970, he sought the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, but finished fifth out of five candidates with 8% of the vote.{{cite book |title=Massachusetts Election Statistics 1970 |pages=167 | url=https://archive.org/details/electionstatisti19691970mass/page/166/mode/2up?view=theater }} In 1971, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Boston City Council.{{cite news |title=New faces, DiCara and Tierney Win Council seats; Langone defeated |work=The Boston Globe |date=November 3, 1971}}
In 1973, Craven was appointed clerk of the Boston Municipal Court for criminal business by Governor Francis Sargent.{{cite news |last1=Farrell |first1=David |title=On the appointment of a court clerk! |work=The Boston Globe |date=September 23, 1973}} In 1982, he was appointed to a judgeship on the Boston Juvenile Court by Governor Edward J. King. He retired from the bench in 2005.
Craven died on November 22, 2011, in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, of complications of Lewy body dementia.{{cite news |last1=Lawrence |first1=J. M. |title=John J. Craven Jr.; anchored city's Juvenile Court |work=The Boston Globe |date=December 20, 2011}}
References
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Category:American segregationists
Category:Boston School Committee members
Category:Harvard College alumni
Category:Massachusetts Democrats
Category:Massachusetts state court judges
Category:Members of the Massachusetts Governor's Council