Bruce Carlton Bolling (April 29, 1945 – September 11, 2012) was a politician and businessman in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a member of the Boston City Council and served as the council's first black president in the mid-1980s. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Boston in 1993.
Bruce Bolling | |
|---|---|
 Bolling, circa 1984-1987 | |
| President of the Boston City Council | |
| In office 1986–1987 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph M. Tierney |
| Succeeded by | Christopher A. Iannella |
| Member of the Boston City Council | |
| In office September 1992 – 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Christopher A. Iannella |
| Succeeded by | Peggy Davis-Mullen and Richard P. Iannella |
| Constituency | At-large |
| In office 1984–1991 | |
| Preceded by | district created |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Crayton |
| Constituency | District 7 |
| In office 1982–1984 | |
| Preceded by | Lawrence DiCara, Patrick F. McDonough, Rosemarie Sansone, and John W. Sears |
| Succeeded by | N/A |
| Constituency | At-large |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 29, 1945 |
| Died | September 11, 2012 (aged 67) Boston, Massachusetts, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Joyce Ferriabough |
| Alma mater |
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Early years edit
Bolling was educated at Boston English High School, Lindsey Wilson College, and received a master's degree in education from Antioch University (now Cambridge College).[1] He was from "the city's most politically successful black family. His father, Royal L. Bolling, was a state senator and his brother, Royal L. Bolling Jr., served as state representative."[1]
Political career edit
Around 1980, Bolling worked "in the administration of Mayor Kevin White in a variety of capacities, including positions in the Office of Public Safety and as a manager of a Little City Hall."[1] In November 1981, he was elected to the Boston City Council, in the final election when all seats were at-large. He was subsequently re-elected to four two-year terms as the representative for District 7 (Roxbury). He was council president in 1986 and 1987 — "the first Black elected president of the Boston City Council."[2] He lost his position on the council following the November 1991 election, when he unsuccessfully sought an at-large seat.[3] He returned to the council in September 1992, following the death of at-large member Christopher A. Iannella, as Bolling had finished fifth in the election for four at-large seats.[4][5] Bolling ran for Mayor of Boston in 1993,[6] finishing fifth in the preliminary election.
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Later years and legacy edit
From 2000 until his death, Bolling was director of MassAlliance, a firm specializing in small business development.[7] He died of prostate cancer on September 11, 2012.[8] He was 67.
In 2015, the Ferdinand Building in then-Dudley Square (now Nubian Square) was renamed the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in his honor.[9][10] The dedication ceremony was attended by his brother, Royal L. Bolling, Jr., Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, and other Massachusetts politicians.[11]
References edit
- ^ a b c "BRUCE C. BOLLING". The Boston Globe. August 5, 1993. p. 32. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
- ^ "Boston Council Member Bruce Bolling Magazine Candidacy In Mayoral Race". Jet. Vol. 84, no. 12. July 19, 1993. p. 29 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Flynn rolls to a record triumph O'Neil, Iannella, Salerno, Nucci take at-large council races". The Boston Globe. November 6, 1991. Retrieved February 24, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Bolling to fill council vacancy". The Boston Globe. September 23, 1992. Retrieved February 24, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Bolling is welcomed back to City Council". The Boston Globe. September 24, 1992. Retrieved February 24, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "BRUCE BOLLING". The Boston Globe. September 19, 1993. p. 7. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
- ^ "About MassAlliance". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-03-31 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Ryan, Andrew (September 11, 2012). "Bruce Bolling, first black president of Boston City Council, dies at 67". The Boston Globe.
- ^ "Bruce C. Bolling Building Renaming Ceremony". cityofboston.gov. April 7, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ "Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building". Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via Google Maps.
- ^ Crimaldi, Laura (April 7, 2015). "Roxbury building renamed in honor of Bruce Bolling, a pioneer". The Boston Globe.
Further reading edit
- Publications by Bolling
- Bolling, Bruce (May 27, 2000). "Plan to benefit South Boston betrays the idea of linkage". The Boston Globe. p. A15 – via pqarchiver.com.
- Bolling, Bruce (January 2, 1993). "Fear, disrespect go together; Let's diminish both". The Boston Globe. p. 11 – via pqarchiver.com.
- Bolling, Bruce (December 30, 1992). "Op Ed: What I've learned from my experience". Boston Herald. p. 21.
- Publications about Bolling
- Hornblower, Margot (16 January 1986). "Boston's new Council president reflects shift in race relations; Bruce Bolling and family making mark on politics". The Washington Post. p. A3 – via pqarchiver.com.
- Daly, Christopher J. (25 December 1992). "With the slamming of a taxi door, race issue reverberates in Boston". The Washington Post. p. A4 – via pqarchiver.com. (Controversy over taxi driver refusing to drive black City Councilman Bruce Bolling home to Roxbury neighborhood).
- Kreig, Andrew (January 10, 1982). "Redistricting May Open the Door to Boston's Minority Politicians". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
External links edit
- Bolling profile at bostonlocaltv.org
- Bolling election records at ourcampaigns.com
- Community, Officials Honor Legacy of Bruce Bolling via YouTube
- Bruce C. Bolling Building Renaming Ceremony at cityofboston.gov (April 7, 2015)