William Bulger
Bill Bulger | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Michael Bulger February 2, 1934 |
| Other names | Billy |
| Education | B.A. Boston College, 1957 (English Literature) J.D. Boston College (Law), 1961 |
| Occupation(s) | politician, educator, attorney (retired) |
| Years active | 1961-present |
| Spouse(s) | Mary, 1960-present |
| Children | 9, sons Bill, Jim, Patrick, Dan, Chris and Brendan three daughters: Sarah,Mary, and Kathleen |
William Michael "Billy" Bulger is a now retired former American politician, attorney, and educator from South Boston, Massachusetts who for many years was President of the Massachusetts State Senate and president of the University of Massachusetts.
Early life
Bulger was born February 2, 1934 in Dorchester, Massachusetts to James Joseph Bulger and Jane Veronica "Jean" McCarthy, Irish immigrants who settled in South Boston during the Great Depression. He is third of six children in the family, and younger brother of future fugitive mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger. When Bulger was four years old, the family moved to South Boston's Old Harbor housing project when it opened in 1938. He grew up there and has maintained lifelong friendships with many of those who were his former neighbors, including best friend, Korean war Marine P.O.W. and purple heart recipient Fred L. Toomey. The late Congressman Joe Moakley (1927–2001) was also a close childhood neighbor.[1] Although the Bulger family was poor, William successfully matriculated into Boston College High School. He enrolled at Boston College in 1952, but his undergraduate career was interrupted when he joined the United States Army in order to serve his country in the Korean War. He served from September 1953 to November 1955, then returned to Boston College, completing his undergraduate degree in English Literature with the help of the G.I. Bill. He attended Boston College Law School, from which he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1961.[1]
As a graduate of Boston College High School, Boston College (as an undergraduate), and Boston College Law School, Bulger is what is commonly referred to as a "triple eagle." He is also the recipient of over 20 honorary degrees from a variety of academic institutions,[1] and is renowned by friends and acquaintances for his erudition, his facility with Latin and the Classics, and his voracious reading habits.
Political career
Bulger became interested in politics in 1959 and was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1961. After serving four terms, Bulger was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in 1970 representing the First Suffolk District. He was elected President of the Massachusetts State Senate in 1978 and re-elected every two years to 1996, making his time as State Senate President the longest tenure in Massachusetts history.
Bulger joined other Irish American neighborhood leaders in opposition to court-ordered desegregated busing.
Like other Massachusetts politicians who were elected leaders of their legislative chambers, Bulger was frequently pilloried in the media, but remained very popular in his district. He won his district election every two years from 1961 to 1994 without ever facing a challenge more serious than he faced in the Democratic primary in 1988, when Stephen Holt, a neophyte liberal activist and bookstore owner from Dorchester won 31 out of 60 precincts, only to lose the district by a landslide due to the huge turnout of Bulger supporters in South Boston.
Political milestones
During the 1960s, he led efforts to write the first child abuse reporting laws in the state.
Bulger was among the first advocates of charter schools and public school choice. During the 1980s, he advocated funding of public libraries, the expansion of childhood nutrition services and fuel assistance programs. As Senate president, Bulger led the debate on welfare reform in the early 1990s, with the resulting legislation becoming the model for a national law.
For many years, Bulger hosted the annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast in South Boston. This is a "roast" of politicians.[1]
President of the University of Massachusetts System
Although a Democrat, Bulger was appointed President of the University of Massachusetts by Republican Governor William Weld in 1996.
On August 6, 2003, Bulger announced that he would resign as President of the system with effect from September 1, 2003. His resignation came due to pressure from Republican Governor Mitt Romney. In addition to Bulger the entire Senior Staff of the Office of the President of the University of Massachusetts resigned. Jack Wilson, a hand-picked Bulger staffer, who was overseeing the creation of the University Online Web Learning Portal was tapped to be the interim President. He would later take the post in whole.
Controversy over brother
Bulger's older brother James J. "Whitey" Bulger, is a fugitive Boston crime boss sought for murder and several other crimes. William Bulger's role in his brother's escape from authorities is a matter of some dispute. On June 19, 2003, he testified to a House of Representatives committee about an incident in which, while still President of the Massachusetts State Senate, he "went to an arranged location in 1995 to take a call from his fugitive brother, apparently to avoid electronic eavesdropping. He said that accepting the call from the gangster without bothering to inform the FBI was 'in no way inconsistent with my devotion to my own responsibilities, my public responsibilities.'"[2]
During the hearing, when asked what he thought James (Whitey) did for a living, William Bulger said: Rep. ...
I had the feeling that he was in the business of gaming and... whatever. It was vague to me but I didn't think, for a long while he had some jobs but ultimately it was clear that he was not being, you know, he wasn't doing what I'd like him to do.[2]
Bulger also testified that the FBI never asked if he knew of Whitey's location. Those remarks were disputed by a former FBI agent who claimed Bulger declined to submit to an interview with the bureau.[3] Months later, the committee report found Bulger's testimony "inconsistent" about whether the FBI had contacted him in its search for his fugitive brother.[3]
The controversy over the relationship between the two brothers, one a political leader, the other a crime boss, is further examined in a recent book The Brothers Bulger by Howie Carr published by Warner Books, New York in 2006.[4]
Active retirement and family
Bulger is a past president of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees and continues to serve on the board. He is also Overseer Emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he is a former member of the Massachusetts General Hospital Board of Trustees, Museum of Fine Arts Board of Trustees, McLean Hospital Board of Trustees and Citizens Bank of Massachusetts Board of Directors. He joined the faculties of Boston College and Suffolk University as a lecturer of political science in 2004. In August 2008 he was a featured guest on The Kindle Chronicles, a weekly podcast program on the Amazon Kindle and the reading habits of Kindle owners. Bulger lives in South Boston with Mary, his wife whom he married in 1960. They have nine children (Bill, Jim, Sarah, Patrick, Mary, Dan, Kathleen, Chris and Brendan) and now have 33 grandchildren. According to the Boston Herald list of State pensions, Bulger is currently receiving a pension from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at a rate of $198,205.92 annually.
Bibliographical works
- Bulger, William M. While the Music Lasts: My Life in Politics. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. ISBN 0-395-72041-9.
- Carr, Howie. The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston For a Quarter Century. Lebanon, IN: Warner Books (Hachette Book Group, Inc.), 2006. ISBN 0-446-57651-4.
- Profile in Political Power, a 2009 documentary produced by JAMAR Productions and narrated by John Burke, is about the political career of William M. Bulger.
See also
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d Bulger, William (1996). While the Music Lasts. Houghton Miffen Co. ISBN 0-395-72041-9.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|unused_data=(help) - ^ a b Edward Achorn,"The Anti-Brahmins: Not Every Massachusetts Dynasty Is Great," book review of The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston For a Quarter Century, by Howie Carr, The Weekly Standard magazine, July 24, 2006.
- ^ a b Fox Butterfield, "F.B.I.Used Killers as Informants, Report Says," New York Times November 21, 2003, accessed September 10, 2006
- ^ Howie Carr, "The Brothers Bulger" The Brothers Bulger (New York: Warner Books, 2006) 323.
External links
- Gitell, Seth. "Bulger's Denouement." Boston Phoenix December 12, 2002. Accessed September 11, 2006.
- Billy Bulger
- 60 Minutes segment about Bulger, aired in 1992
- 1934 births
- Living people
- Boston College High School alumni
- Boston College Law School alumni
- People from Boston, Massachusetts
- American politicians of Irish descent
- Massachusetts State Senators
- American people of Irish descent
- American political bosses from Massachusetts
- University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni