Joseph B. Ely

Joseph Buell Ely
52nd Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 8, 1931 – January 3, 1935
Lieutenant	William S. Youngman Gaspar G. Bacon
Preceded by	Frank G. Allen
Succeeded by	James M. Curley
Personal details
Born	(1881-02-22)February 22, 1881 Westfield, Massachusetts
Died	Westfield, Massachusetts
Political party	Democratic
Profession	Attorney

Joseph Buell Ely (February 22, 1881 – June 13, 1956) was the 52nd Governor of the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

Biography

Born in Westfield, Massachusetts, Joseph B. Ely graduated from Williams College in 1902, before earning a degree from Harvard Law School in 1905. He returned to Westfield and practiced law as a partner of Ely & Ely and expanded his practice to Boston in 1926. Governor David I. Walsh appointed him to serve as District Attorney for Massachusetts' Western District in 1915; he was elected in his own right to this position the next year, serving until 1920. Mr. Ely became active in the Democratic Party, serving as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1924 and 1928.

In 1930, Mr. Ely challenged incumbent Governor Frank G. Allen, defeating him in the popular election by a narrow margin. Chief among Governor Ely's concerns was contending with the effects of the Great Depression. He began a series of public works projects to relieve unemployment. Highway construction in Massachusetts' was accelerated by this work, which was supported by the imposition of a gasoline tax. Ely advocated substantial reductions in state salaries during the depression, but met with overwhelming legislative resistance. In concert with the City of Boston, Ely established a permanent Boston Police Academy to increase the training of public safety officers.

Ely supported Al Smith in the 1932 Democratic Primary, but shifted his support to Franklin Roosevelt after the latter won the party's nomination. Later, Ely became a member of the American Liberty League and supported Republican Alf Landon in the 1936 presidential election.[1]

Ely declined to run for reelection in 1936 and returned to Westfield where he remained active in state and national Democratic politics. He ran for Democratic Presidential nomination in 1944, losing to Franklin Delano Roosevelt by a substantial margin. Joseph Ely is well remembered in his hometown, where Westfield State University's Governor Joseph B. Ely Library is named in his honor.

External links

• Official Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Biography
• Joseph B. Ely at Find a Grave

Political offices
Preceded by Frank G. Allen	Governor of Massachusetts 1931–1935	Succeeded by James M. Curley