Edward J. King
| Edward Joseph King | |
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| 66th Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 4, 1979 – January 6, 1983 |
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| Lieutenant | Thomas P. O'Neill III |
| Preceded by | Michael Dukakis |
| Succeeded by | Michael Dukakis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 11, 1925 Chelsea, Massachusetts |
| Died | September 18, 2006 (aged 81) Burlington, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democrat (Switched to Republican after leaving office) |
| Spouse(s) | Josephine King |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
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No. 34
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| Guard / Defensive end | |
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Personal information
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Career information
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| College: Boston College | |
| Debuted in 1948 | |
| Last played in 1950 | |
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Career history
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Career highlights and awards
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| Stats at pro-football-reference.com |
Edward Joseph "Ed" King (May 11, 1925 – September 18, 2006) was the 66th Governor of the U.S. state of Massachusetts from 1979 to 1983.
Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Boston College and Bentley College, King played professional football as a guard with the All-America Football Conference Buffalo Bisons from 1948 to 1949 and the National Football League's Baltimore Colts in 1950. Prior to winning election as Governor, his only elected office, he served as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Port Authority and President of the New England Business Council.
In 1978, King defeated incumbent Governor Michael Dukakis in the Democratic primary, and served as Governor of Massachusetts from 1979 to 1983. He was defeated for re-election in a 1982 rematch with Dukakis.
During his term of office, Governor King froze property taxes, reduced state spending on social programs, undertook a variety of efforts to encourage increased business and agricultural opportunities in the Commonwealth, and took a tough stand on crime by introducing mandatory minimum sentences and passing legislation to reintroduce the death penalty in Massachusetts, a measure which was later ruled unconstitutional by the state's Supreme Judicial Court. When advocating capital punishment, President Ronald Reagan called King his "favorite Democratic governor" and King endorsed Reagan in the 1984 Presidential election.[1]
Following his term of office, Governor King joined the public relations firm of Hill & Knowlton. In 1985 King switched his party affiliation to the Republican Party[2] and briefly considered running for governor in 1986 on the Republican Party ticket. Until the time of his death, he maintained residences in both Massachusetts and Florida.
His wife Josephine died in 1995. He was survived by two sons, Timothy and Brian; two sisters, Helen Kennedy and Mary King; and five grandchildren. His late brother, Paul, was a judge in the state court system.
Cabinet [edit]
| The King Cabinet | ||
|---|---|---|
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| Governor | Edward J. King | 1979 – 1983 |
| Lt. Governor | Thomas P. O'Neill III | 1979 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Transportation | Barry Locke James Carlin |
1979 – 1981 1981 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Communities and Development | Byron J. Matthews | 1979 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Environmental Affairs | John A. Bewick | 1979 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Consumer Affairs | Eileen Schell | 1979 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Human Services | Charles F. Mahoney William T. Hogan |
1979 – 1981 1981 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Elder Affairs | Stephen Guptill Thomas H. D. Mahoney |
1979 – 1979 1979 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Administration and Finance | Edward Hanley David M. Bartley |
1979 – 1981 1981 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Public Safety | George Luciano | 1979 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Economic Affairs | George Kariotis | 1979 – 1983 |
| Secretary of Energy | Joseph S. Fitzpatrick Margaret St. Clair |
1979 – 1981 1981 – 1983 |
References [edit]
- ^ W. James Antle III (2006-09-29) King Is Dead, The American Spectator
- ^ Edsall, Thomas (1988-07-11) Dukakis: A Political Evolution. Engineering a Comeback; New Persona, Policies Buoy Second Term, Washington Post
External links [edit]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Michael Dukakis |
Massachusetts Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate 1978 (won) |
Succeeded by Michael Dukakis |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Michael Dukakis |
Governor of Massachusetts January 4, 1979 – January 6, 1983 |
Succeeded by Michael Dukakis |
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- American athlete–politicians
- American football offensive guards
- American lawyers
- American people of Irish descent
- Baltimore Colts (1947–1950) players
- Bentley University alumni
- Boston College Eagles football players
- Buffalo Bills (AAFC) players
- Boston College alumni
- Governors of Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Democrats
- Massachusetts Republicans
- People from Boston, Massachusetts
- People from Florida
- 1925 births
- 2006 deaths
- American Roman Catholics
