John A. Volpe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Volpe
Volpe as Transportation Secretary, 1970
United States Ambassador to Italy
In office March 6, 1973 – January 24, 1977
President	Richard Nixon Gerald Ford James Earl Carter Jr.
Preceded by	Graham Martin
Succeeded by	Richard N. Gardner
2nd United States Secretary of Transportation
In office January 22, 1969 – February 2, 1973
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Alan Boyd
Succeeded by	Claude Brinegar
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office October 16, 1967 – July 21, 1968
Preceded by	William L. Guy
Succeeded by	Buford Ellington
61st and 63rd Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 7, 1965 – January 22, 1969
Lieutenant	Elliot Richardson Francis W. Sargent
Preceded by	Endicott Peabody
Succeeded by	Francis W. Sargent
In office January 5, 1961 – January 3, 1963
Lieutenant	Edward F. McLaughlin Jr.
Preceded by	Foster Furcolo
Succeeded by	Endicott Peabody
Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration Acting
In office October 22, 1956 – February 5, 1957
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by	Charles Dwight Curtiss
Succeeded by	Bertram D. Tallamy
Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Works
In office February 1953 – October 22, 1956
Governor	Christian Herter
Preceded by	William F. Callahan
Succeeded by	Anthony DiNatale
Personal details
Born	John Anthony Volpe (1908-12-08)December 8, 1908 Wakefield, Massachusetts, US
Died	November 11, 1994(1994-11-11) (aged 85) Nahant, Massachusetts, US
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Giovaninna Benedetto ​ (m. 1934)​
Children	2
Education	Wentworth Institute of Technology (BS)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1942–1946
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Unit	Seabees
Battles/wars	World War II

John Anthony Volpe (born December 8, 1908 – died November 11, 1994) was an American businessman and politician. He was the son of Italian immigrants. Volpe started his own large construction company. He was a member of the Republican Party. He served as Governor of Massachusetts twice. Later, he became the United States Secretary of Transportation. He also served as the United States Ambassador to Italy. As Secretary of Transportation, he helped develop the Interstate Highway System.

Early Life and Education

John Volpe was born on December 8, 1908, in Wakefield, Massachusetts. His parents, Vito and Filomena Volpe, were Italian immigrants. They came to Boston from Pescosansonesco, Abruzzo, Italy, in 1905. His father worked in construction.

Volpe studied architectural construction at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. In 1930, he started his own construction company. By the time World War II began, his company was one of the biggest in the United States.

Personal Life and Military Service

In 1934, John Volpe married Giovannina Benedetto. They had two children, John Anthony, Jr. and Loretta Jean. During World War II, Volpe joined the United States Navy. He served as a training officer for the Seabees. He was a Lieutenant Commander. Volpe was also a member of the Knights of Malta and the Knights of Columbus.

Early Political Career

Volpe's first political role was in 1951. He became the deputy chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party. In 1953, Governor Christian Herter appointed him as the Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Works.

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Volpe. He became the first administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. In this job, he helped start the building of the Interstate Highway System.

Governor of Massachusetts

Volpe with Boston Mayor John F. Collins (1960–1968).

In 1960, Volpe was elected Governor of Massachusetts. He served from 1961 to 1963. In 1962, he lost his bid for reelection. However, he ran again in 1964 and won. He was reelected in 1966 for the first four-year term in Massachusetts history.

As governor, Volpe signed laws to address racial imbalance in education. He also worked to increase public housing for low-income families. He successfully introduced a three percent state sales tax. From 1967 to 1968, he was the president of the National Governors Association.

On April 22, 1965, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Governor Volpe. King then gave a speech to the Massachusetts legislature.

During this time, a report found that many Black students in Boston attended schools that were mostly Black. This was due to housing segregation. The Federal Housing Administration and the Boston Housing Authority had policies that led to this separation.

In response, the Boston NAACP filed a lawsuit in 1965. They wanted to end school segregation in Boston. Governor Volpe supported a law that would allow the state to stop funding schools with racial imbalance. This law was passed in August 1965.

The state found 46 imbalanced schools in Boston. The State Board of Education asked the Boston School Committee to create a plan to fix this. When the plan was not good enough, the state threatened to stop funding. After some legal challenges, the courts supported the state's power to act against racial imbalance.

In 1968, Volpe ran for president in the Massachusetts Republican primary. He lost to a write-in campaign for New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. Volpe then supported Richard Nixon for president.

Secretary of Transportation

Volpe in a group photo of Nixon's cabinet on June 16, 1972, second from the left on the bottom row.

After the election, President Richard Nixon appointed Volpe as United States Secretary of Transportation. He left his role as governor to take this job. He served from 1969 to 1973.

As Secretary, Volpe changed his views on building highways. He pushed for a more balanced approach to transportation. He helped stop the "Inner Belt" highway project in Boston. He also stopped the Riverfront Expressway in New Orleans. This saved the historic French Quarter from being cut off from the river.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, was created during his time in office. Volpe was also an avid cyclist. He encouraged more Americans to bike, especially during the energy crisis. He received the Award of Excellence in 1970 for his work.

Ambassador to Italy

Volpe had a strong interest in Italy, his parents' home country. He visited Italy many times. In 1969, he received a high honor from the Italian Republic.

In 1973, President Nixon nominated Volpe to be the United States Ambassador to Italy. He held this position until 1977. Some people in Italy did not welcome him warmly because of his southern Italian roots. He also upset some groups by speaking against the Italian Communist Party being part of the government.

Death and Legacy

John Volpe passed away in Nahant, Massachusetts, on November 11, 1994. He was 85 years old. He is buried in Forest Glade Cemetery in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

Several places are named in his honor. These include the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge. The Governor John A. Volpe Library at Wakefield High School is also named after him. Terminal E at Logan International Airport is dedicated to him as well. His official papers are kept at Northeastern University Libraries.