City Council Longevity, Part II
Posted by DickH on 13 Nov 2009 at 08:49 pm | Tagged as: 2009 Election, City Council, History, Lowell-2009
Earlier today I posted a list of the ten individuals who have served on the Lowell City Council for the longest since the start of Plan E government in 1943. Here’s a list of all city councilors since 1943, sorted by length of service. The list assumes councilors elected last week (their names are in italics) will serve their full terms and does not yet take into account partial two-year terms. Here’s the complete list:
40 years: Richard Howe Sr.
24 years: Bud Caulfield
22 years: Sam Pollard
18 years: Armand LeMay
16 years: Bart Callery, John Janas, Brendan Fleming, Rita Mercier
14 years: Robert Kennedy, Rodney Elliott
12 years: Ellen Sampson, Bob Maguire, Eileen Donoghue, Armand Mercier, Bill Martin
10 years: Leo Roy, Vincent Hockmeyer, George Ayotte, Ray Lord, Ray Rourke
8 years: Bill Geary, Francis McMahon, Joe Downes, Edward Early, Leo Farley, Edward Kennedy, Brian Martin, Dick O’Malley, Tarsy Poulios, Jim Milinazzo
6 years: Joseph Sweeney, Woodbury Howard, Harold Hartwell, John Dukeshire, Sam Sampson, John Desmond, Brian Delaney, Gus Coutu, Kathy Kelley, Gerry Durkin, Curtis LeMay, Grady Mulligan, Rithy Uong, Kevin Broderick
4 years: J Russell Scott, Henry Beaudry, George Murphy, Roger Hoar, John Carney, Tom O’Donnell, George O’Meara, John Cox, Tom Crowley, Ray Gilbride, Paul Tsongas, Phil Shea, Charles Gallagher, Wayne Peters, George Anthes, Ray Lord Jr, Steve Gendron, Matt Donahue, Larry Martin, Peter Richards, Dan Tenczar
2 years: Walter Clement, Maurice Condrey, Scoop Dionne, Jim Bruin, George Eliades, Henry Sullivan, Ed Ryan, Brad Morse, Nick Contakos, Pat Walsh, George Macheras, Bill Moriarty, Arthur Gendreau, Arthur Keenan, Albert Wood, John Mahoney, Gail Dunfey, John Slavin, Victor Forsley, Donald Scott, Tom Casey, Joe Fitzpatrick, Bernie Lemoine, Laurie Machado, Mike Geary, Dan Leahy, George Ramirez, Alan Kazanjian, Mike Lenzi, Franky Descoteaux, Patrick Murphy, Joe Mendonca.

Interesting post Dick. I noticed a few relations, being a Dracut native I may have missed some!!
Husband-Wife (2)
Father-Son (2)
Grandfather-Grandson (1)
Uncle-Niece (1)
Father-In-Law-Son-In-Law (2)?
Congressman(2)
U.S. Senate (1)
Let’s see if I can find the connections identified by Jim:
Husbands-Wives would be Sam & Ellen Sampson and Laurie (Machado) & Rodney Elliott
Fathers-Sons would be Bob & Mike Maguire, Armand & Curtis LeMay, (and one more), Ray Lord Sr & Jr.
Grandfather-Grandson would be Bill & Mike Geary
Uncle-Neice would be Gus Coutu & Kathy Kelley
Father-in-Law, Son-in-Law would be Sam Pollard & Joe Fitzpatrick and Dan Leahy & George Ramirez (I believe George Eliades and Nick Contakos were related; perhaps brothers-in-law)
The Congressmen would be Brad Morse & Paul Tsongas who would also be the US Senator.
Here are some other elected offices held by councilors:
State Senator: Phil Shea & Dan Leahy
State Rep: John Janas, Bob Kennedy, Ray Rourke, Phil Shea, Ed Early & Leo Farley
Governor’s Councilor: Bob Kennedy
Register of Deeds: Ed Early
County Commissioner: Paul Tsongas & Ed Kennedy
Any that we’ve missed?
Grandfather & grandson - George Murphy & Patrick Murphy?
Mayors:
Joseph Sweeney (acting - 1943)
Woodbury Howard
Leo Roy
George Ayotte
William Geary
George Eliades
Henry Beaudry
John Janas
Samuel Pollard
Joseph Downes
Ellen Sampson (1st)
Edward Early
Robert Maguire (1st)
Richard Howe (1st)
Ellen Sampson (2nd)
Armand LeMay
Leo Farley
Raymond Rourke
Robert Maguire (2nd)
M. Brendan Fleming
Brian Martin
Richard Howe (3rd)
Tarsey Poulios
Richard Howe (4th)
Bud Caulfield (1st)
Eileen Donoghue (1st)
Eileen Donoghue (2nd)
Rita Mercier
Armand Mercier
William Martin
Bud Caulfield (2nd)
2010?
State Representatives:
Joseph Sweeney
George B. Murphy
John Desmond
City Managers: Charles Gallagher. Bill Taupier & Brian Martin
Superintendent of Schools: Wayne Peters
Mike Maguire was not elected to the city council although he was a candidate.
OK to keep this going, from this group came:
Tsongas Arena
John Cox Bridge (Bridge St.)
Lord Overpass
Sampson Connector
Early Garage
Roy Garage
Ayotte Garage
Kennedy Center at LRTA
Pollard Library
Janas Rink
Gallagher Terminal
Don’t forget the Downes garage (John Street).
Shouldn’t George Anthes and Joe Mendonça (and who knows how many others) get put in their own categories of 4+ and 2+? Or is that a bridge too far?
Regards — Cliff
Jim’s right about Mike Maguire only having been a candidate.
The plaque on the Rourke Bridge has the image of both Tim & Ray Rourke. I think the parking garage at the Gallagher Terminal is named for Ray Rourke also. There’s a small street that runs from Adams into the Murkland School that’s named Tarsy Poulios way.
As for Cliff’s point, franctional terms will have to wait for “Council Longevity, Part III” because there are many others in that situation, both pluses (joining the council to serve a vacancy) and minuses (leaving the council early). I think George Anthes falls into both categories, for example.
I know something about or personally know or knew everyone on this list except Skip Dionne… Who is/was he?
Enjoy the blog so much on a rainy night in the south west of Ireland where my Parents were born.
Today I was to Kilchrist Cemetery for the annual blessing of the graves and then back to the farmhouse for tea.Tea is all kinds of sandwiches and cakes sitting around the table talking for hours and the children playing in the next room.
Hi Marie,
Joseph Elzear Dionne was elected to the council in 1945, the 2nd election under the “new” Plan E form of government in the city. He was serving on the school committee at the time. He finished 9th. “Scoops” served one term, not getting re-elected in 1947. He served with Leo Roy, Joseph Sweeney, Woodbury Howard, Vincent Hockmeyer, J. Russell Scott, Francis McMahon, William Geary, and Bart Callery.
The 1945 election was seen as a victory for PR voting as the 1st Greek-American, Paul Panagiotakos, and the 1st Polish-American, John Janas, were elected to the school committee.
He resided on Campaw St.