Francis W. Sargent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Francis W. Sargent | |
|
|
|
| In office January 7, 1965 – January 22, 1969 |
|
| Preceded by | Elliot Richardson |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Donald R. Dwight |
|
|
|
| Born | July 29, 1915 Hamilton, Massachusetts |
| Died | October 21, 1998 Dover, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Republican |
Francis William Sargent (July 29, 1915 - October 21, 1998) was governor of Massachusetts from 1969 to 1975. Born in 1915 in Hamilton, Massachusetts, he was known for his sharp wit and self-deprecating manner. A patrician Republican politician, "Sarge" was a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was a classmate and friend of I.M. Pei, although Sargent never graduated. [1]. He was on the dean's list each year and received a scholastic prize.
He was a dedicated conservationist who delivered the keynote address at MIT on the first Earth Day in 1970. He had earlier served as state commissioner of natural resources for 10 years, and went on to win appointment as state Commissioner of Public Works in 1964.
He was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1966, and in 1969, he succeeded Republican John Volpe as governor when Volpe became secretary of Transportation under President Nixon.[1] In 1970, Gov. Sargent won election in his own right, defeating Boston mayor Kevin White.
He achieved nortoriety by canceling all highway construction inside Route 128 except the Northern Expressway in 1972.
He was governor of the Commonwealth during the strife following Judge Arthur Garrity's 1974 decision to desegregate Boston public schools by means of forced busing. He was accused of practicing NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) politics by supporting the decision while remaining unaffected in the very wealthy suburban town of Dover, Massachusetts. On occasion, busloads of anti-busing protesters from the city, found out that his road in Dover had no street lights when they showed up at night to picket. He retired from politics after his defeat for reelection by Michael Dukakis in November 1974. He died in 1998 in Dover, Massachusetts[2], and is buried at the Highland Cemetery in Dover, Massachusetts.
[edit] References
- ^ Francis W. Sargent, Ex-Governor, Dies. The Boston Globe. October 23, 1998.
- ^ Funeral to be Nov. 4 for Francis Sargent. The Boston Globe. October 24, 1998.
[edit] External Link
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Elliot L. Richardson |
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts January 5, 1967 – January 7, 1971 |
Succeeded by: Donald Dwight |
| Preceded by: John Volpe (resigned) |
Acting Governor of Massachusetts January 22, 1969 – January 7, 1971 |
Succeeded by: Francis W. Sargent (elected Governor) |
| Preceded by: Francis W. Sargent (as Acting Governor) |
Governor of Massachusetts January 7, 1971 – January 2, 1975 |
Succeeded by: Michael Dukakis |
