John B. Kennedy (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Boyle Kennedy was an American City manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...

 and politician who City Manager of Medford, Massachusetts
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...

 and Town Manager of Norwood, Massachusetts
Norwood, Massachusetts
Norwood is a town and census-designated place in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,602. The community was named after Norwood, England...

 and Saugus, Massachusetts
Saugus, Massachusetts
Saugus is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 26,628 at the 2010 census.-History:Saugus was first settled in 1629. Saugus is an Indian name believed to mean "great" or "extended"...

. He was also a candidate for Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
The Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts is an executive officer, elected state-wide every four years....

 in 1960
Massachusetts general election, 1960
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 8, 1960 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.The election included:* statewide elections for United States Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer, and Auditor;* district elections for U.S...

.

Early life and career

Kennedy graduated from Winthrop High School in 1918 and went on to earn degrees from Wentworth Institute
Wentworth Institute of Technology
The Wentworth Institute of Technology is an independent, co-educational, technical design and engineering college located in Boston, Massachusetts...

 and Franklin Union Technical Institute. He also completed course in municipal government at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...

.

Kennedy's career in municipal management began in Winthrop, Massachusetts
Winthrop, Massachusetts
The Town of Winthrop is a municipality in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Winthrop was 17,497 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is an oceanside suburban community in Greater Boston situated at the north entrance to Boston Harbor and is very close to Logan International...

, where he served as water commissioner and business manager. In 1949, he and seven other water superintendents agreed to form the Massachusetts Water Works Association, a corporation that would gather and disseminate information to insure an adequate supply of drinking water. Kennedy served as the corporation's first Secretary.

Norwood Town Manager

After ten years as water commissioner, Kennedy left Winthrop to become Town Manager of Norwood, Massachusetts. In 1954, after a series of assaults on women in town, which included the murder of 15 year-old Geraldine Annese, Kennedy declared a state of emergency.

Medford City Manager

From 1957 to 1958, Kennedy served as City Manager of Medford, Massachusetts. In January of 1958, two members of the Medford City Council requested that Kennedy resign. City Councilor and Kennedy's predecessor as City Manager James Shurtleff
James Shurtleff
-Early life:Shurtleff was born on July 28, 1910 in Middleborough, Massachusetts. He attended Williston Academy and Brown University.Shurtleff worked as a writer for the Middleborough Journal and the The Standard-Times...

 told Kennedy that six of the seven members of the City Council would vote in favor of removing him if he chose not to resign. On January 29, he announced that he would not resign. On March 30, 1958 the City Council voted to suspend Kennedy, despite the fact that the crowd of over 400 was mostly pro-Kennedy. On April 8, the city council voted for to 4 to 3 to fire Kennedy, who the council accused of 19 charges, including being appointed unethically by the previous council, failing to "provide executive leadership", failing to "show reasonable understanding of municipal finance", and establishing an "unsound" tax rate.

Saugus Town Manager

In May of 1958, Kennedy was named Town Manager of Saugus, Massachusetts. He succeeded Daniel E. McLean
Daniel E. McLean
Daniel E. "Chick" McLean was an American politician who served as Mayor of Beverly, Massachusetts from 1937 to 1949, City Manager of Haverhill‎, Massachusetts from 1951 to 1955, Town Manager of Saugus, Massachusetts from 1956 to 1958, and Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee...

, who resigned to become Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee
Massachusetts Republican Party
The Massachusetts Republican Party is the Massachusetts branch of the United States Republican Party. Governance of the party takes the form of a State Committee which, in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 52, consists of one man and one woman from each of the 40 Senate Districts...

.

In 1960, Kennedy ran for Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts. He finished third in the Democratic primary behind John T. Driscoll
John T. Driscoll
John Thomas Driscoll is a former American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1955–1960, Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts from 1961–1964, chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority from 1964–1987, and Vice President for...

 and Patrick F. McDonough
Patrick F. McDonough
Patrick F. McDonough was an American police officer, attorney, and politician who served as a member of the Boston City Council from 1956 to 1964, 1966 to 1970, and 1972 to 1982. He was the Council President in 1958, 1961, 1973, and 1981...

.

On September 11, 1960, the Saugus Board of Selectmen requested Kennedy's resignation. Kennedy did not resign and at the next meeting, the Selectmen voted 4 to 1 to fire Kennedy. Kennedy's dismissal came one month after three new Selectmen were elected in a special recall election (all of whom voted to remove Kennedy). One of the reasons for firing Kennedy, according to Selectman Frederick Wagner, was the manager's decision to put curbing on the sidewalk in front of his Taylor Street home instead of on a sidewalk where children more frequently walked.

Later life and death

Kennedy later worked for Whitman & Howard, an engineering firm located in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, until his retirement at the age of 70. He died on January 26, 1983 at the St. Francis Home for the Aged in Laconia, New Hampshire. He was 82 years old.
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