Francis X. Cotter

Francis X. Cotter (1895–1959) was an American government official who served as Director of Veterans' Services for the City of Boston and Commissioner of the Boston Fire Department.

Early life Cotter was born in South Boston. He attended Boston College High School and Boston College. During World War I, he served with the 101st Field Artillery Regiment of the 26th Infantry Division. From 1929 to 1930 he served as a lobbyist for the VFW. He declined to be nominated for a second term and was succeeded by Fred T. Openshaw in 1935.

Government service In 1927, Cotter became a corrections officer at the Boston House of Correction. In July 1954, Cotter implemented a reorganization plan that resulted in the closure of two stations (one of which was only three years old), the deactivation of 3 fire companies, and the reassignment of 83 firemen. By 1959, Cotter had reduced the number of BFD employees by 185 by leaving vacancies unfilled. The city’s consolidation efforts were opposed by the Boston Firefighters Union, who accused Cotter and Hynes of providing inadequate protection to Dorchester.

Death On February 26, 1959, Cotter returned to his home at noon to eat lunch and tend to his ill wife. While washing his hands before lunch, Cotter became unresponsive. The fire department attempted resuscitation efforts, but were unsuccessful. The department’s physician attributed his death to Coronary thrombosis. He was 63 years old.