Torbert Hart Macdonald (June 6, 1917 – May 21, 1976) was an American Democratic politician from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. He represented the northern suburbs of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, including his home town of Malden, in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1955 until his death in 1976. Macdonald was a close political and personal ally of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

, his former roommate at

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

Biography

Macdonald was born in

Everett, Massachusetts Everett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, directly north of Boston, bordering the neighborhood of Charlestown. The population was 49,075 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. Everett was the last city in the Un ...

, in 1917 and grew up in Malden. After several years in public school, he entered Phillips Academy in Andover. Macdonald attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, where he was captain of the Crimson football team and the roommate of

. They remained close friends throughout their lives, with Macdonald serving as an usher at then-Senator Kennedy's wedding and as an honorary pallbearer at President Kennedy's funeral. At Harvard, Macdonald earned his B.A. in 1940 and his LL.B. in 1946 from its law school. Macdonald served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

as a

PT boat A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for its maneuverability and speed but hampered at the beginning of the war ...

commander in the Southwest Pacific theater from 1942 to 1944, and was awarded the Silver Star,

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

and Presidential Unit Citation. He was admitted to the bar in 1946 and commenced the practice of law in

as a partner in the firm of Stoneman, Macdonald & Chandler. Macdonald was a member of the

National Labor Relations Board The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States with responsibilities for enforcing U.S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. Under the Na ...

for the New England area from 1948 to 1952, and he was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1960, 1964, and 1968. Macdonald was elected as a Democrat to the 84th Congress in 1954. During his career, he served as majority Whip, and as ranking Democrat on the

House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than ...

. He was often referred to as the "Father of Public Broadcasting", since he was one of the legislators primarily responsible for

Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 () issued the congressional corporate charter for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private nonprofit corporation funded by taxpayers to disburse grants to public broadcasters in the United ...

. He was also responsible for the "sports blackout bill" which provides for the broadcast of local sold-out sporting contests. Another focus was his effort to reform campaign broadcasting practices, addressing his concern that competent candidates were being priced out of the process, and others were buying their way in. While recognized as an active legislator, he was also justly noted for his high level of service to individual constituents and their problems. His sharp wit and sense of humor garnered him among his Congressional colleagues the nickname "The Needle". He was reelected ten times, and died in office on May 21, 1976, in

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

, aged 58.

Personal life, death, and legacy

Macdonald married actress

Phyllis Brooks Phyllis Brooks (July 18, 1915 – August 1, 1995) was an American actress and model. She was born in Boise, Idaho. Some sources have also inaccurately cited 1914 as her year of birth, but 1915 is the correct year according to Social Security r ...

on June 23, 1945, in

Tarrytown, New York Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North ...

. They remained married until his death. He and Brooks had four children, the eldest of whom (Torbert Hart Macdonald Jr.) was President Kennedy's godson. The other children were Laurie, Brian, and Robin. Macdonald died at

Bethesda Naval Hospital The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed, or Navy Med, is a United States' tri-service military medi ...

(

) after he had ordered doctors to remove life‐support systems. Macdonald was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts. The memorial stone dedicated to Torbert Macdonald was originally dedicated in 1984 by the Italian Heritage Society but moved to the Macdonald Stadium facility and placed alongside the memorial of Torbert’s late father, John G. "Jack" Macdonald, for whom Macdonald Stadium was named.Remembering Torbert Hart Macdonald
wickedlocal.com. Accessed September 4, 2022. Macdonald was portrayed by actor Stan Cahill in the 1993 television miniseries '' JFK: Reckless Youth''.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Torbert Harvard Crimson football players Harvard University alumni Harvard Law School alumni Phillips Academy alumni Players of American football from Massachusetts Massachusetts lawyers Politicians from Everett, Massachusetts Military personnel from Massachusetts United States Navy personnel of World War II Recipients of the Silver Star United States Navy officers 1917 births 1976 deaths Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers

Biography

Personal life, death, and legacy

See also

References

External links