Frank J. Donahue
Frank J. Donahue (August 2, 1881 – August 24, 1979) was an American politician and judge from Massachusetts. A pharmacist by training, he earned a law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1921 and went on to a long public service career.
He served as Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth from 1913 to 1915. In the 1912 election, he defeated Republican Albert P. Langtry as the Progressive Bull Moose movement split the Republican vote, winning by 4,576 votes. In 1913, with the split continuing, he was reelected by a much larger margin of 42,642 votes.
Donahue chaired the Massachusetts Democratic Party from 1928 to 1932. In 1932, he was appointed Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, a role he held for 42 years until 1974. He was nominated by Governor Joseph B. Ely and was succeeded on the court by his son, Roger J. Donahue.
Born in Needham, Massachusetts, Donahue died in Boston at age 98. He and his wife had three children: Roger J. Donahue, Frank Donahue, and Malcolm Donahue.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:48 (CET).