Evening star., 1938-11-21
J. F. Costello Dies:
Was Ex-Demo(rati(
Committeeman Here
Heart Attack Is FotuI to
Longtime Porty and =.
D. c. OfficioI

John F. Costello, who served for
almost a quarter of century as
Democratic national committeeman
for the District of Columbia, died
yesterday of a heart attack at his
home, 3l49 Newark street NV.
Mr.. Costello had been in i'll health
for several months and at home for
the last two weeks
A native Washingtonian. son of
the late jeremiah Costello and
Catherine LaWton Costello, Mr.. Co.'S
tello played an important part in
the National Capitals official life.
He attended school here at st. Johns
College on Vermont avenue and re-
ceived an LII. B. degree from George
town University.
During the Wilson administration
he was appointed recorder of deeds
for the District and held that ofiice
for a number Of years. He headed
the Districts delegation attending
the Democratic National Convention
in San Francisco in 1920, and he
and the delegation placed Franklin
Delano Roosevelt in nomination for
the vice presidential nomination at
that convention.
Mr.. Costello took an active part,
too, in the pre-convention campaign
in 1882 in support of Mr.. Roose-
velt's candidacy for the presidential
nomination. He was assigned the
task of lining up the delegations
fro mthe Territories and possessions
of the United States for Mr.. Roose-
welt and he carried it out success
fully.
Served 20 Years.
tional committeeman for the Dis
trict began in 1918 and he retained
that Office until 1896, when his sue
cesSor was elected. Mr.. Costello's
father was a contractor here in
the days of Boss" Shepherd, who
did a great deal to help clean up
the National Capital
Mr.. Costello is survived by his
widow, Mrs. Agnes K. Costello, and
three children, Mrs Franklin A.
Hart, wife of Col. Hart. U. S. Marine
Corps: Mrs. Reginald Grady and
John F. Costello jr.. and also by a
sister, Mrs. Mary c. Bryan, and a
brother, Jere A. Costello. A brother.
Walter Costello, died some years ago.
He is survived also by three grand
children.
The funeral will be held from
Gawler's. 1850 Pennsylvania avenue,
at 9:15 am. Wednesday. Mass will
be celebrated at 10 am. at the
Church of the Blessed Sacrament
in Chevy Chase. 1nterment will be
in Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Mr.. Costello had a wide circle of
friends and acquaintances, not only
in Washington but throughout the
country, having been brought into
contact with many public men
through his interest and participa-
ton in national politics.
Helped Name Roosevelt.
Although the delegations at
Democratic National Conventions
representing the District have been
comparatively small numerically,
under the leadership of Mr.. Costello
they have played important parts.
Mr.. Costello, while not himself
delegate at all the conventions he
attended, was, in the position of
national chairman, constantly on
the job charting the course to be
followed.
A number of the delegates from
the District in 1882 opposed the
nomination of President Roosevelt,
among them Arthur O'Brien and
George P. Marshall. After the first
roll call. and the District delegation
had cast its six votes, as a unit, for
Mr.. Roosevelt, Mr.. O'Brien chal-
lenged the use of the unit rule to
vote the delegation but was over-
ruled by the late Senator Thomas j.
Walsh, permanent chairman of the
convention, and Mr.. Marshall sought
to have the delegation polled. It
was Mr.. Costello's insistence that
kept the delegation constantly in
line for the nomination of Mr..
Roosevelt, from the time of the
primary in Washington until the
final vote was taken in the national
convention.