Joseph P. Kennedy was the 1st Chair of which United States Commission?

The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the United States federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, passed by Congress on June 29, 1936. It replaced the United States Shipping Board which had existed since WWI.

MARCOM was intended to formulate a merchant shipbuilding program to design and build five hundred modern merchant cargo ships to replace the WWI vintage vessels that comprised the bulk of the United States Merchant Marine. Also MARCOM was intended to administer a subsidy system authorized by the Act to offset the cost differential between building in the United States and operating ships under the American flag.

The Act of 1936 also formed the United States Maritime Service for the training of seagoing ships' officers to operate the new fleet.

Kennedy was appointed the 1st Chair of the U.S. Maritime Commission on April 14, 1937 and served in this capacity until February 19, 1938. Prior to this appointment, Kennedy was also the first chair of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which he led from 1934 to 1935,

For both Commissions, Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969) was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.