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William E. Weeks

William E. Weeks
Mayor of Everett, Massachusetts
In office
1919–1920
Preceded byJohn J. Mullen
Succeeded byChristopher Harrison
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office
1905–1909
Personal details
BornJune 23, 1880
Portland, Maine
DiedApril 23, 1972 (aged 91)
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
Progressive Party (1922 election)
RelationsRanny Weeks (son)
Alma materBoston University School of Law
OccupationAttorney, politician

William Edward Weeks (June 23, 1880 – April 23, 1972)[1][2] was an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and as Mayor of Everett, Massachusetts.

Early life

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Weeks was born on June 23, 1880, in Portland, Maine. He attended public schools in Everett and in 1905 he graduated from Boston University and Boston University School of Law.[3]

Political career

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In 1904, Weeks served as the private secretary to Everett mayor Thomas J. Boynton. From 1905 to 1909 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He was chairman of the House legal affairs committee in 1907 and the street railway committee in 1908 and 1909.[3]

In 1917, Weeks defeated incumbent John J. Mullen by 230 votes to become Mayor of Everett.[4] The Boston Daily Globe described the race between Mullen and Weeks as "one of the bitterest campaigns in years" and in his inaugural address, Weeks referred to his predecessor as a "caterwauling demagogue" and vowed to overturn many of his acts, including firing of Police Chief William E. Hill and the closure of the Everett Tuberculous Hospital.[4][5] In 1918, Christopher Harrison defeated Weeks by 390 votes, with Mullen, who supported Harrison after being eliminated in the preliminary election, taking credit for "putting [him] over".[6]

In 1922, Weeks was the Progressive Party candidate for United States Senate. He finished sixth with less than 1% of the vote.[7] In 1923 Weeks moved to Reading, Massachusetts. However, in 1933, he returned to Everett to run for Mayor.[8] He made the runoff election, but was defeated by another former Mayor, James A. Roche.[9] During the 1934 gubenatoral election Weeks supported Democrat James Michael Curley. In 1935 Curley appointed Weeks to the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.[10] In 1941, Weeks again ran for Mayor of Everett. He finished last in a four candidate primary.[11]

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In 1922, Weeks defended George H. Mansfield, a former Everett resident who was charged with murdering his lover, Alice Jones.[12] The medical examiner later ruled that Jones committed suicide and District Attorney Thomas C. O'Brien asked the grand jury to return no bill against Mansfield.[13] In 1924, Weeks served as a special counsel for defendants accused of being part of an extortion ring led by former Middlesex County district attorney William J. Corcoran. They were found guilty and Corcoran was sentenced to 7 to 10 years in prison.[14] Weeks also defended Corcoran when he and Daniel H. Coakley were also charged with conspiracy to extort later that year. They were found not guilty on all counts.[15] In 1927 Weeks represented Jerry Gedzium, a convicted murder who was appealing his death sentence. The conviction was upheld by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "William Edward Weeks in the Massachusetts, U.S., Mason Membership Cards, 1733–1990". Ancestry.com. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  2. ^ "William Weeks Social Security Death Index". Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  3. ^ a b A Souvenir of Massachusetts legislators, 1909. 1909. p. 154.
  4. ^ a b "Weeks Defeated Mullen by 230 Votes in Everett". The Boston Daily Globe. December 12, 1917.
  5. ^ "Mullen Flayed by New Mayor". The Boston Daily Globe. January 8, 1918.
  6. ^ "Mayor Weeks Beaten in Everett by Harrison". The Boston Daily Globe. December 10, 1918.
  7. ^ Office of the Secretary of Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1922). Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections. p. 320.
  8. ^ "Weeks Served Everett As Mayor In War Days". The Boston Daily Globe. November 8, 1933.
  9. ^ "Roche Wins at Everett, Defeats Weeks by 1700". The Boston Daily Globe. November 8, 1933.
  10. ^ "Weeks Will Replace Bazeley on A.B.C. Board". The Boston Daily Globe. April 3, 1935.
  11. ^ "Lawrence Has 22 Margin In Medford Primary Vote". The Boston Daily Globe. October 8, 1941.
  12. ^ "Weeks Counsel for Mansfield". The Boston Daily Globe. July 22, 1922.
  13. ^ "Decides Mrs. Jones Committed Suicide". The Boston Daily Globe. July 25, 1922.
  14. ^ "Corcoran Gets 7 to 10 Years". The Boston Daily Globe. May 6, 1924.
  15. ^ "Jury Frees Coakley and W.J. Corcoran". The New York Times. July 4, 1924.
  16. ^ "Commonwealth vs. Jerry Gedzium". Mass Cases. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Trial Court Law Libraries. Retrieved January 4, 2019.