List of mayors and city managers of Lowell, Massachusetts

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This is a list of mayors and city managers of Lowell, Massachusetts. Lowell became a city in 1836. From 1836 to 1943 the mayor of Lowell was the chief administrative officer of the city. Lowell switched to a Massachusetts "Plan E" form of city government in 1943, since January 1, 1944 the city has been administrated by a professional city manager, the office of mayor, while retained under "Plan E", is strictly a ceremonial one.

Contents

Mayors

Mayor of Lowell
Incumbent
Daniel Rourke
since January 2, 2024 [1]
Style His/Her Honor
TypeCeremonial
Member ofSchool Committee
Residence None official
Seat Lowell City Hall
Appointer City Council vote
Term length Two years
Constituting instrumentLowell City Charter
PrecursorLowell Board of Selectmen
(1826-1836)
Formation1836
First holder Elisha Bartlett
Salary$30,000 (2017) [2]
Website www.lowellma.gov/549/City-Mayor
#MayorPictureTermPartyNotes
1st Elisha Bartlett Elisha Bartlett by Thomas Bayley Lawson.jpg 1836–1838 Whig
2nd Luther Lawrence 1838 – April 17, 1839 Federalist
A Elisha Huntington Thomas Bayley Lawson - Elisha Huntington (restored).jpg April 1839 – April 1840 Whig Became acting mayor after the death
of Luther Lawrence in April 1839.
3rd Elisha Huntington Thomas Bayley Lawson - Elisha Huntington (restored).jpg April 1840 – April 1842 Whig
4th Nathaniel Wright April 1842 – April 1844Citizens ticket, (1842); Whig (1843)
5th Elisha Huntington Thomas Bayley Lawson - Elisha Huntington (restored).jpg April 1844 – January 1846 Whig
6th Jefferson Bancroft Jefferson Bancroft portrait at Lowell Masonic Temple; Lowell, MA; 2012-05-18.jpg 1846–1848 Whig
7th Josiah B. French 1849–1850 Coalitionist/Democratic [3]
8th James H.B. Ayer James H. B. Ayer.jpg 1851 Whig
9th Elisha Huntington Thomas Bayley Lawson - Elisha Huntington (restored).jpg January 1852 – January 1853 Whig
10thSewall G. Mack1853–1854 Whig
11th Ambrose Lawrence Thomas Bayley Lawson - Ambrose Lawrence (1816-1893) - H540 - Harvard Art Museums.jpg 1855 Native American Party
12th Elisha Huntington Thomas Bayley Lawson - Elisha Huntington (restored).jpg 1856 Whig
13thStephen Mansur Stephen Mansur.jpg 1857 Republican
14th Elisha Huntington Thomas Bayley Lawson - Elisha Huntington (restored).jpg January 1858 – January 1859 Whig
15thJames Cook1859 Republican
16thBenjamin C. Sargent1860–1861 Republican
17thHocum Hosford1862–1865Citizens ticket (1862–1863), Republican (1864)
18thJosiah G. Peabody1865–1866 Republican [4]
19th George F. Richardson George Francis Richardson 1872.png 1867 – January 4, 1869 Republican
20th Jonathan P. Folsom 1872 Jonathan Philbrick Folsom Massachusetts House of Representatives.png January 4, 1869 – 1870 Republican
21stEdward Fay Sherman1871 Republican
22ndJosiah G. Peabody1872 Republican
23rdFrancis Jewett1873–1875 Republican [5]
24th Charles A. Stott January 1, 1876 – 1877 Republican
25thJohn A. G. RichardsonJanuary 7, 1878 – 1879 Democratic
26th Frederic T. Greenhalge Frederick T. Greenhalge.jpg 1880 – January 2, 1882 Republican
27thGeorge RunelsJanuary 2, 1882 Republican [6]
28thJohn J. Donovan1883–1884 Democratic First Irish-American Mayor of Lowell [7]
29thEdward J. Noyes1885 Republican [8]
30thJames C. Abbott1886–1887 Democratic [9]
31stCharles Dana Palmer Charles Dana Palmer.png 1888 – January 1891 Republican [10]
32ndGeorge W. Fifield George W. Fifield.png January 1891 – 1892 Democratic [11]
33rd John J. Pickman John J. Pickman.png 1893–1894 Republican
34thWilliam F. Courtney1895–1897 Democratic [12]
35thCol. James W. Bennett1898 Republican [13]
36th Jeremiah Crowley Jeremiah Crowley (politician),.png 1899–1900 Democratic Irish-American
37th Charles A. R. Dimon Charles A.R. Dimon.jpg 1901 – May 5, 1902 Democratic [14]
AWilliam E. Badger1902 Republican Acting
38th Charles E. Howe 1903–1904 Republican
39thJames B. Casey1905–1906 Democratic [15] Irish-American
40th Frederick W. Farnham 1907–1908 Republican
41st George H. Brown January 1, 1909-January, 1910 Republican
42ndJohn F. Meehan1910–1911 Democratic [16] Irish-American
43rdJames E. O'Donnell1912–1913 Democratic Irish-American
44thDennis J. Murphy1914–1915 Democratic [17] Irish-American
45thJames E. O'Donnell1916–1917 Democratic
46th Perry D. Thompson Perry D. Thompson.png 1918–1921 Republican
47th George H. Brown 1922 Republican
48thJohn J. Donovan1923–1926 Democratic
49thThomas J. Corbett1927–1928 Democratic [18]
50th Thomas H. Braden 1929–1931 Republican
52ndCharles H. Slowey1932–1933 Democratic
53rd James J. Bruin James J. Bruin.png 1934–1935 Democratic
54thDewey G. Archambault1936–1939 Republican First Franco-American Mayor of Lowell [19]
55th George T. Ashe 1935 George Ashe Massachusetts House of Representatives.png 1940–1943 Democratic
AJoseph J. Sweeney1943 Democratic Acting mayor.
Last mayor before the City Manager form of government was established under a Massachusetts Plan E Charter.
56thWoodbury F. Howard1944–1945 Republican [20] First ceremonial mayor.
Beginning of the weak mayor system.
City manager form of government
established on January 1, 1944.
57thLeo A. Roy1946–1947 Republican
58thGeorge A. Ayotte1948–1949 Republican
59thWilliam C. Geary1950 Democratic [21]
60thGeorge C. Eliades1951–1952 Democratic First Greek-American Mayor of Lowell [22]
61st Henry Beaudry Henri Henry Beaudry, 1896-1969.jpg 1952–1953 Republican [23]
62nd John Janas 1967 John Janas Massachusetts House of Representatives.png 1954–1955 Republican [24] First Polish-American Mayor of Lowell [25]
63rdSamuel S. Pollard1956–1959 Democratic [26]
64thRaymond J. Lord1960–1961 Republican [27]
65th Joseph M. Downes 1962–1963 Democratic [28]
66thEllen A. Sampson Ellen Anastos Sampson.jpg 1964–1965 Republican First Female Mayor of Lowell [29]
67th Edward J. Early Jr. 1966–1967 Democratic
68thRobert G. Maguire1968–1969 Democratic
69thRichard P. Howe1970–1971 Democratic [30]
70thEllen A. Sampson Ellen Anastos Sampson.jpg 1972–1973 Republican [31]
71stArmand W. LeMay1974–1975 Democratic [32]
72nd Leo J. Farley 1976–1977 Democratic
73rd Raymond F. Rourke 1967 Raymond Rourke Massachusetts House of Representatives.png 1978–1979 Democratic
74thRobert C. Maguire1980–1981 Democratic [33]
75th M. Brendan Fleming Mayor Brendan Fleming photographed in 1973.jpg 1982–1983 Democratic [34]
76th Brian J. Martin Master of Ceremonies Brian Martin (500094508) (cropped).jpg 1984–1985 Democratic [35]
77th Robert B. Kennedy 1975 Robert B Kennedy Massachusetts House of Representatives.png 1986–1987 Democratic
78thRichard P. Howe1988–1991 Democratic
79thTarsy T. Poulios1992–1993 Democratic
80thRichard P. Howe1994–1995 Democratic
81stEdward "Bud" Caulfield1996–1997
82nd Eileen Donoghue Eileen Donoghue.jpg 1998–2001 Democratic
83rdRita Mercier2002–2003 Democratic [36]
84th Armand Mercier 2004–2005
85thWilliam F. Martin2006–2007 Democratic
86thEdward "Bud" Caulfield2008–2009 Democratic
87thJames L. Milinazzo2010–2011 Democratic Italian-American
88th Patrick O. Murphy PatrickOMurphy.jpg 2012–2013 Independent [37] Inaugurated at age 29,
youngest mayor in Lowell history
89th Rodney Elliott Rodney Elliot.jpg 2014–2016 Democratic
90th Edward J. Kennedy Edward J Kennedy MA government photo.jpg 2016–2018 Democratic
91stWilliam Samaras2018–2020 Democratic
92ndJohn Leahy2020–2022 Independent
93rd Sokhary Chau 2022-2024 Democratic First Cambodian mayor in the United States.
94thDaniel Rourke2024–present

City Managers

#City ManagerTermNotes
1stJohn J. Flannery1944–1952
2nd Ulysses J. Lupien 1952–1953former Massachusetts Director of Civil Service (1939–1944)
AWilliam Sullivan1953
3rdFrank E. Barrett1953–1962
4th Cornelius Desmond 1962–1963former State Representative (1941–1962)
5thP. Harold Ready1963–1966
6thCharles Gallagher1966–1970
ALeo Morris1970
7th James Sullivan 1970–1974former and future City Manager of Cambridge, Massachusetts (1968–1970, 1974–1981)
A Robert W. Healy 1974future City Manager of Cambridge, Massachusetts (1981–2013)
8th Paul J. Sheehy 1974–1975former State Representative (1965–1972)
AWilliam Busby1975
9th William S. Taupier 1975–1979former Mayor of Holyoke (1968–1975)
AVictor Normand1979
10th B. Joseph Tully 1979–1987former State Senator (1971–1979)
11thJames Campbell1987–1991
AJames Kennedy1991Assistant City Manager
12th Richard Johnson 1991–1995former Mayor of Taunton (1982–1992)
13th Brian J. Martin 1995–2000former Mayor (1984–1985)
14th John F. Cox 2000–2006former State Representative (1983–1995)
AJames Kennedy2006Assistant City Manager
15thBernard F. Lynch2006–20141st Town Manager of Chelmsford (1989–2006) [38]
AMichael Geary2014City Clerk (Dec. 2011-present) & former City Councilor (1994–1996)
16th Kevin J. Murphy 2014–2018former State Representative (1997–2014)
17th Eileen Donoghue 2018–2022former Mayor (1998–2002) & State Senator (2011–2018)
AMichael Geary2022City Clerk (Dec. 2011-present) & former City Councilor (1994–1996)
18th Thomas Golden Jr. 2022–presentformer State Representative (1995–2022)

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References

  1. ↑ Gilbert, Melanie (January 2, 2024). "Hail to the new Lowell City Council". Lowell Sun. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ Siefer, Ted (October 12, 2016). "In Lowell, higher salaries for a higher purpose". CommonWealth Magazine. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  3. ↑ Duane Hamilton Hurd, History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches, Volume 2, 1890
  4. ↑ The Lowell Sun, The Latest Combination for a Republican Ticket, July 23, 1887
  5. ↑ The Lowell Sun, The Spellbinder – A Sensitive Politician, August 1, 1914
  6. ↑ The Granite Monthly: A New Hampshire Magazine, Volumes 43–44, Concord, NH, 1911
  7. ↑ Marie, "Some Mayoral History", RichardHowe.com, January 5, 2014.
  8. ↑ The Boston Daily Globe, In Smaller Cities – Lowell, December 10, 1884
  9. ↑ The Lowell Sun, A Democratic Duty, December 11, 1886
  10. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Senter and Drury – These Are the Gentlemen the Democrats Elect Aldermen, December 15, 1888
  11. ↑ Frederick William Coburn, History of Lowell and Its People, Volume 1, 1920, p. 361
  12. ↑ The Lowell Sun, William F. Courtney for Mayor – Renominated with Great Enthusiasm at the Democratic Convention, November 27, 1895
  13. ↑ The Granite Monthly: A New Hampshire Magazine, Volumes 34–35, Concord, NH, 1903
  14. ↑ The Lowell Sun, The Spellbinder – The Next Election, April 29, 1916
  15. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Many Surprises, December 9, 1908
  16. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Results of Last Night's Contests in the Primaries, November 24, 1909
  17. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Big Caucuses – Democrats Turn Out Strongly in all Wards, November 16, 1901
  18. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Four Members of Present City Government Give Up Posts, September 9, 1939
  19. ↑ The Lowell Sun, The Archambault Family, June 24, 1982
  20. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Bitter Battle on City's Next Mayor, November 7, 1947
  21. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Reception to Governor Here Tomorrow, April 29, 1950
  22. ↑ Lowell Historical Society, "Lowell History Chronology", 2013
  23. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Roy, Beaudry, Sullivan and Sweeney Gain on Transfers, November 10, 1951
  24. ↑ Frank Barrett, The Lowell Sun, Politics, January 10, 1951
  25. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Council Elects Janas Mayor, April 14, 1954
  26. ↑ The Lowell Sun, How Vote Went in City Precincts, November 5, 1953
  27. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Raymond J. Lord Dies at 59, February 7, 1972
  28. ↑ Frank Barrett, The Lowell Sun, Janas, Pollard, Hockmeyer, McMahon, Ayotte, Beaudry 'In', November 5, 1953
  29. ↑ "Looking good, mayors". Lowell Sun. April 14, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  30. ↑ Frank Barrett, The Lowell Sun, Councilor and Former Mayor Howe Eyes Challenge to Sen. Joseph Tully, April 23, 1972
  31. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Voters: Sheehy, Sampson to Win, September 14, 1972
  32. ↑ Frank Barrett, The Lowell Sun, High Hopes for Advisory Cabinet Plan, July 15, 1979
  33. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Maguire Endorses Hatem for Congress, September 15, 1980
  34. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Who Goofed on Fleming Endorsement?, August 29, 1982
  35. ↑ The Lowell Sun, Election-Watcher's Program for the Races, September 14, 1986
  36. ↑ City Councilor and former Mayor Rita Mercier endorsed Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown over Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren in 2012; Lyle Moran, The Lowell Sun, Mercier, a Democrat, endorses Republican Brown, September 14, 2012
  37. ↑ Camire, Chris (August 29, 2012) "GOP, Lowell Mayor Spar Over His 'Independent' Warren Endorsement", The Lowell Sun.
  38. ↑ "Former Lowell manager Lynch to lead Winchendon on interim basis". June 3, 2015.
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