John Forbes "Iron Duke" Thompson (born May 20, 1920 in Ludlow, Massachusetts

Ludlow, Massachusetts

Ludlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census. It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, east of Chicopee, southeast of Granby, southwest of Belchertown, west of Wilbraham and is considered part of the...

, died August 12, 1965 in Norwood, Massachusetts

Norwood, Massachusetts

Norwood is a town and census-designated place in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,602. The community was named after Norwood, England...

 ) was a U.S. politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 who was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Massachusetts House of Representatives

The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...

 from 1949-1964. He served as the House Majority Leader from 1955–1957 and Speaker of the House from 1958 to 1964. Thompson resigned as speaker in 1964 following a bribery indictment. He died before the case was resolved. Thompson Hall, a center for social and behavioral science classrooms and offices at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

University of Massachusetts Amherst

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...

, is named after him.