Edward P. Boland

Edward P. Boland. United States Congress. , [left panel] , Born on Essex Street in the north end of Springfield on October 1, 1911, the youngest of four sons of Irish immigrant parents Michael and Johanna Boland, Eddie Boland lived his early years in the Hungry Hill section of Springfield and attended the city's public schools, graduating from Springfield Central High School in 1928., In 1934, at the age of 23, he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives where he served for three successive terms. In 1940, he was elected to a six year term as Register of Deeds for Hampden County and was re-elected in 1946. In May 1942, shortly after America's entry into World War II, he took military leave and enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army. He spent 18 months in the South Pacific and was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of Captain. In 1952, he was elected to the United States Congress from the second Massachusetts district and was re-elected for 17 consecutive terms., He retired in 1988 after fifty-four years of public service. In retirement he continued to live in Springfield with his wife Mary Egan Boland and their four children until his death on November 4, 2001. His public career is a testament to the belief that a public office is a public trust , that the office belongs not to its holder, but to the people, and that every person who enters its doors should be treated with respect and dignity., [right panel] , Throughout his career, Eddie Boland was a champion of democratic ideals and the belief that government should be an active positive force in people's lives. His thirty-six years in the United States Congress were marked by compassion for the least among us and an unwavering belief in the right of every person, regardless of background, to equality of opportunity. He was a strong supporter of the civil rights movement and in 1965 journeyed to Selma, Alabama to march alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. in a powerful demonstration of their shared goals., As a long time member of the House Appropriations Committee, he led efforts to provide funds to revitalize America's cities, expand housing opportunities for the poor, the elderly and the disabled, improve the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink, and redeem the nation's pledge to care for its veterans and their families. In 1958, he co-sponsored legislation to establish the Cape Cod National Seashore, expanding the government's efforts to protect land for public use. A zealous advocate of America's space program, he was a champion of NASA's efforts to explore the universe., Among his colleagues his name was synonymous with integrity. In 1977 he was appointed the first chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and was author of the Boland Amendment designed to prevent the United States from engaging secretly in activities in Central America, which were inconsistent with publicly stated policies. His career spanned 54 years of devotion to the public service and to ideals which are the source of America’s greatness.