James Shannon (Massachusetts politician)

James Shannon
James Michael Shannon, undated picture
President of the International Electrotechnical Commission
In office January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2020
Preceded by	Junji Nomura
Succeeded by	Yinbiao Shu
40th Attorney General of Massachusetts
In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1991
Governor	Michael Dukakis
Preceded by	Francis Bellotti
Succeeded by	Scott Harshbarger
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 5th district
In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1985
Preceded by	Paul Tsongas
Succeeded by	Chester G. Atkins
Personal details
Born	James Michael Shannon (1952-04-04) April 4, 1952 (age 72) Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Johns Hopkins University (BA) George Washington University Law School (JD)

James Michael Shannon (born April 4, 1952) is an American Democratic politician from Massachusetts. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and later as the Massachusetts Attorney General.

Biography

Shannon was born on April 4, 1952, in Methuen, Massachusetts, and grew up in Lawrence.^[1] He graduated from Phillips Academy in 1969 and received his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1973.^[2][3] He earned a J.D. degree at George Washington University Law School in 1975 and practiced law in Lawrence.^[4][5]

In 1970 and 1971 Shannon was an intern in the office of Congressman F. Bradford Morse.^[6] From 1973 to 1975 he served on the staff of Congressman Michael J. Harrington.^[7] In 1976 he ran for the Massachusetts State Senate, losing the Democratic primary to incumbent William X. Wall by only eight votes.^[8][9]

He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978, succeeding Paul E. Tsongas, who ran successfully for the United States Senate. Shannon was reelected in 1980 and 1982.

In 1981, he was selected to be one of the first Young Leaders of the French-American Foundation.^[10]

When Senator Tsongas announced his retirement in 1984, Shannon entered the race to succeed him. He was defeated in the Democratic primary by Lieutenant Governor John Forbes Kerry, who went on to win the seat. Shannon served out the rest of his term in the House, leaving office in January 1985, at which point he was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board.

In 1986, he was elected Attorney General of Massachusetts, defeating Edward F. Harrington and serving from 1987 to 1991.^[11][12] He was defeated for re-election in 1990 by Scott Harshbarger in the Democratic primary.^[13]

In 2000 Shannon led Bill Bradley's presidential campaign in Massachusetts and was a Bradley delegate to Democratic National Convention.^[14][15]

He was elected president and Chief Executive Officer of the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) in 2002, and served until 2014.^[16]

He became President of the International Electrotechnical Commission on 1 January 2017 for a three-year term.^[17]

References

1. Anna L. Brownson, Charles Bruce Brownson, Congressional Staff Directory, 1982, page 56
2. Phillips Academy Andover, Program, Dedication of Peter Drench Park at Isham Field Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, May 24, 2014, page 4
3. Johns Hopkins Magazine online, Class Notes, Fall 2013, retrieved August 2, 2014
4. American Bankers Association, ABA Banking Journal, Volume 74, 1982, page 70
5. Congressional Staff Directory, Advance Locator for Capitol Hill, 1983, page 61
6. "Young Lawrence Attorney Seeks to Unseat Sen. Wall". The Lowell Sun. March 9, 1976. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Stuart E. Weisberg, Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman, 2009, page 171
8. "Files for Recount". The Lowell Sun. September 22, 1976. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Legendary Sen. Wall Wins Razor-Thin Victory". The Lowell Sun. September 15, 1976. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Young Leaders". French-American Foundation. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
11. Elsa C. Arnett, Harvard Crimson, Attorney General, November 3, 1986
12. United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Biography, Edward F. Harrington Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved August 2, 2014
13. Andrea Lamberti, MIT Tech, Silber, Weld Win, September 21, 1990
14. Seth Gitell, Going for Broke: Al Gore is Running Out of Money. Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid. Archived 2015-09-22 at the Wayback Machine, December 17–24, 1999
15. Elizabeth Mehren, Los Angeles Times, New England's Appeal Not Equal to the Sum of Its Delegates, March 3, 2000
16. National Fire Protection Association, The Pro Board Honors NFPA President James M. Shannon With Donation to the Fire Protection Research Foundation, June 19, 2014
17. IEC Officers, CH: International Electrotechnical Commission, 2017, archived from the original on January 3, 2020, retrieved November 15, 2017

External links

• United States Congress. "James Shannon (id: S000286)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Appearances on C-SPAN

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Paul E. Tsongas	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 5th congressional district 1979-1985	Succeeded by Chester G. Atkins
Legal offices
Preceded by Francis X. Bellotti	Attorney General of Massachusetts 1987 – 1991	Succeeded by Scott Harshbarger
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Elizabeth Esty as Former US Representative	Order of precedence of the United States as Former US Representative	Succeeded by Charles Thomas McMillen as Former US Representative