Thomas P. Costin Jr.

Thomas P. Costin Jr. (born 1926) is an American former politician in the state of Massachusetts who served as the 45th Mayor of Lynn, Massachusetts.

Thomas P. Costin Jr.
45th Mayor of
Lynn, Massachusetts
In office
1956 – July 3, 1961[1]
Preceded byArthur J. Frawley
Succeeded byM. Henry Wall
Member of the
Lynn, Massachusetts
City Council
In office
1947–1955
Preceded byArthur J. Frawley
Personal details
Born1926 (age 96–97)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseRosemary[2]
Military service
AllegianceUnited States of America[3]
Branch/serviceU.S. Marines
Battles/warsWorld War II

Costin served eight years on the Lynn City Council before being elected mayor in 1956. At the age of 29, he became the youngest mayor in Lynn's history.[3]

As mayor, he proposed and spearheaded an urban renewal plan which targeted the Brickyard neighborhood of Lynn in an effort to make the city more attractive to industry and give it the ability to compete with surrounding communities' shopping malls but the program ultimately failed to deliver on its promises.

A close friend of John F. Kennedy, Costin lead the voter registration drive during Kennedy's 1958 Senate Reelection campaign.[4] Costin was a Kennedy delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Conventions.[4] Costin was appointed Lynn District postmaster by the President in 1961.[3] He served as Postmaster until 1992.[5] He was reportedly a finalist for the position of United States Postmaster General in 1976.[6] In late 2018, the Post Office building in which Costin served as postmaster[5] was renamed in his honor by an Act of Congress.[7] The official dedication ceremony was held on May 24, 2019.[5]

In August 2020, Costin led a rally against proposed cuts to the U.S. Postal Service.[8]

Notes
  1. Daily Evening Item (July 3, 1961), Wall Takes Oath As Mayor Pledges Aid To Citizens Succeeds Costin In City Hall Rite, Lynn, MA: The Lynn Daily Evening Item
  2. Daily Evening Item (December 26, 1970), Former Mayor Wall Stricken Dies at 71, Lynn, MA: The Lynn Daily Evening Item
  3. "Essex National Heritage Commission to honor Tom Costin". The Amesbury News. May 12, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  4. Jourgensen, Thor (November 20, 2014), Costin connection ties Kennedy to Biden, Lynn, MA: The Lynn Daily Item
  5. Jourgensen, Thor (May 22, 2019). "LYNN POST OFFICE TO BE DEDICATED IN HONOR OF THOMAS P. COSTIN JR". Itemlive.com. The Daily Item. Retrieved May 22, 2019. Costin served as Lynn postmaster from 1961 to 1992
  6. "Postmasters considered". The Daily Collegian. December 8, 1976. p. 5. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  7. Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 115–363 (text) (PDF)
  8. "Congressman and Costin rally disgruntled postal supporters". The Daily Item. 19 August 2020. pp. A1. Retrieved 4 July 2023.


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