Joseph D. Ward

Joseph D. Ward
22nd Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth
In office
January 20, 1959 – January 1961
GovernorFoster Furcolo
Preceded byJ. Henry Goguen
Succeeded byKevin H. White
Member of the
Massachusetts Senate
3rd Worcester District
In office
1963–1973
Preceded byElizabeth Stanton
Succeeded byRobert A. Hall
Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
13th Worcester District
In office
1949–1956
Personal details
BornMarch 26, 1914
DiedMay 10, 2003(2003-05-10) (aged 89)
PartyDemocratic Party
Alma materCollege of the Holy Cross
Boston University
ProfessionLawyer
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Joseph D. Ward (March 26, 1914 – May 10, 2003) was an American politician who served as Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth from January 1959 to January 1961.

Ward was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1948, representing the 13th Worcester District. He was a candidate for Massachusetts Attorney General in 1956, but lost to Edward J. McCormack Jr. in the Democratic primary. Ward was appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth following the death of Edward J. Cronin. In 1960, Ward ran for Governor of Massachusetts. He defeated Endicott Peabody, Francis E. Kelly, Robert F. Murphy, John Francis Kennedy, Gabriel Piemonte, and Alfred Magaletta in the primary, but lost to John A. Volpe in the general election. He was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1962 and remained there until his retirement from politics in 1972.

Ward also spent 12 years as a professor of political law at Boston University.