Joseph W. Martin Jr.

Joseph W. Martin Jr.
Martin in 1939
44th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955
Preceded by	Sam Rayburn
Succeeded by	Sam Rayburn
In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949
Preceded by	Sam Rayburn
Succeeded by	Sam Rayburn
House Minority Leader
In office January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1959
Deputy	Leslie C. Arends
Preceded by	Sam Rayburn
Succeeded by	Charles A. Halleck
In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953
Deputy	Leslie C. Arends
Preceded by	Sam Rayburn
Succeeded by	Sam Rayburn
In office January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1947
Deputy	Harry Lane Englebright Leslie C. Arends
Preceded by	Bertrand Snell
Succeeded by	Sam Rayburn
Chair of the Republican National Committee
In office July 8, 1940 – December 7, 1942
Preceded by	John Hamilton
Succeeded by	Harrison E. Spangler
Leader of the House Republican Conference
In office January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1959
Deputy	Harry Lane Englebright Leslie C. Arends Charles A. Halleck Leslie C. Arends Charles A. Halleck Leslie C. Arends
Preceded by	Bertrand Snell
Succeeded by	Charles A. Halleck
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts
In office March 4, 1925 – January 3, 1967
Preceded by	Robert M. Leach
Succeeded by	Margaret Heckler
Constituency	15th district (1925–1933) 14th district (1933–1963) 10th district (1963–1967)
Personal details
Born	Joseph William Martin Jr. (1884-11-03)November 3, 1884 North Attleborough, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	March 6, 1968(1968-03-06) (aged 83) Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican

Joseph William Martin Jr. (November 3, 1884 – March 6, 1968) was an American Republican politician who served as the 44th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1947 to 1949 and 1953 to 1955. He represented a House district centered on his hometown of North Attleborough, Massachusetts, from 1925 to 1967 and was the leader of House Republicans from 1939 until 1959, when he was ousted from leadership after the party's disastrous losses in the 1958 elections. He was the only Republican to serve as Speaker in a sixty-four year period from 1931 to 1995. He was a "compassionate conservative" who opposed the New Deal and supported the conservative coalition of Republicans and southern Democrats.^[1]

Early in his career, Martin worked as a newspaper editor and served in both houses of the Massachusetts General Court. He won election to the United States House of Representatives in 1924. He was elected House Minority Leader after the 1938 elections. He also served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1940 to 1942 at the behest of Wendell Willkie, the 1940 Republican presidential nominee. Martin presided over five Republican National Conventions and frequently became involved in presidential politics. He urged General Douglas MacArthur to seek the 1952 Republican presidential nomination, and supporters of Robert A. Taft accused Martin of favoring Dwight D. Eisenhower in Martin's role as chairman of the contentious 1952 Republican National Convention. After Eisenhower won the 1952 election, Martin supported Eisenhower's internationalist foreign policy.

Martin lost his position as Republican leader after the party lost seats in the 1958 elections. He was succeeded by his more conservative deputy, Charles A. Halleck. Martin continued to serve in Congress until his defeat in the 1966 Republican primary by Margaret Heckler. Martin died in Hollywood, Florida, in 1968.

Martin was a Zionist who supported the recognition of the state of Israel.^[2]