John W. McCormack, former House speaker

Former US House Speaker John W. McCormack, who passed on Saturday, was a South Boston Democrat who rose through the ranks of rough-and-tumble Boston politics in the era of James Michael Curley, former Boston mayor and Massachusetts governor. Mr. McCormack retired from Congress in 1970. He served the last 8 years of his 42 years in Congress as speaker of the House.

President Carter said Mr. McCormack was a "strong and distringuished speaker of the House of Representatives, and throughout his 42 years in the House served with distinction and a strong, heartfelt belief in the Democratic Party."