Born in South Boston, John W. McCormack overcame extreme poverty and adversity to achieve celebrity status and wealth. Guided by a strong belief that hard, honest work would be rewarded, McCormack pursued his own American dream, becoming one of the most influential and powerful figures in US history.

Although he never finished high school, he became a self-educated lawyer. As a teenager, he attended women's right-to-vote rallies with his mother, which made him see that men and women should have equal rights. His talent for debate and his position as the US Speaker of the House helped to pass groundbreaking bills on civil rights, economic security, education, foreign aid, health care, housing, immigration, and voting rights.

John W. McCormack shared the same qualities we do as the McCormack community. His core beliefs were that if you worked hard and worked together as a group, your community would have pride.

As we enter this school year, how do you think that you can continue the McCormack legacy of fighting for what is fair and right for everyone in your community?