Edward J. King
Edward J. King | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 May 1925 Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | 18 September 2006 (aged 81) |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, Professional football player |
| Years active | 1948–1950 (football), 1953–1974 (Massport), 1979–1983 (Governor) |
| Known for | 66th Governor of Massachusetts |
Edward Joseph King (May 11, 1925 – September 18, 2006) was a prominent American political figure who held the office of 66th Governor of Massachusetts from 1979 until 1983. Initially affiliated with the Democratic Party, he transitioned to the Republican Party in 1985. King secured the governorship in the 1978 Massachusetts gubernatorial election but was defeated in the 1982 Democratic primary by his predecessor, Michael Dukakis.
Early life
Born on May 11, 1925, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, King supported his education during his early years by working as a pinsetter at a bowling alley located in Revere Beach. He served in the United States Navy throughout World War II until a broken ankle led to his medical discharge.
Athletic career
King was a member of the Boston College Eagles football team from 1945 through 1947 and earned his degree from Boston College in 1948. He played professionally in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) with the Buffalo Bills during the 1948 and 1949 seasons and later joined the Baltimore Colts in the National Football League (NFL) for the 1950 season. Over his professional football tenure, King appeared in a total of 31 AAFC and NFL games, starting in 11 of them. After the Colts disbanded, he was drafted by the New York Yanks in the 22nd round of the 1951 NFL draft but did not play for the team.
Massport
Following his sports career, King pursued studies in accounting and business at Bentley College. In 1953, he began working with the accounting firm Lybrand, Ross Bros., & Montgomery. After conducting an audit for the Museum of Science, he was appointed assistant director and comptroller there.
In 1959, King took on the role of comptroller for the newly established Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). He advanced to secretary-treasurer on December 23, 1961, and was promoted to executive director on June 18, 1963.
During his tenure as executive director, King managed significant modernization efforts at Logan International Airport, including upgrades to runways and terminals as well as overseeing construction of the Volpe International Terminal (Terminal E). Under his administration, Massport transitioned from operating at a deficit to achieving a surplus. Nevertheless, he encountered criticism for neglecting concerns voiced by residents of East Boston amid airport expansion plans. His contentious decision in 1969 to demolish Frederick Law Olmsted's Wood Island Park while legal battles were ongoing heightened public dissent. Some detractors contended that Logan’s growth owed more to advancements in jet travel than to King’s leadership. Furthermore, Massport developed a reputation for patronage practices involving employment opportunities, gifts, and contracts awarded without competitive bidding.
King also launched ferry operations to Hingham aimed at aiding redevelopment efforts at the Hingham Shipyard site.
Tensions escalated between King and the Massport Board of Directors due to his independent approach toward airport expansion and other initiatives. Ultimately, on November 21, 1974, the board voted four to two to remove him from his position.
New England Council
Following his departure from Massport, King assumed presidency of the New England Council, a regional organization akin to a Chamber of commerce supported by business stakeholders. In this capacity, he advocated before federal authorities to ease environmental regulations impacting businesses and helped coordinate attempts to establish a national solar energy research center within New England.
Governor
On October 25, 1977, King declared his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for Governor. Identifying as a fiscal and social conservative, he campaigned as a pro-life contender endorsing capital punishment, offshore oil exploration, expanded nuclear energy use, increased investment in solar power research, deregulation of businesses, raising the legal drinking age to 21, and strict mandatory sentencing for drug offenders. Backed strongly by the business sector, King outpaced his rivals in fundraising and concentrated his resources on media campaigns, while the incumbent Governor Michael Dukakis prioritized organizational efforts.
In the Democratic primary of September 1978, King emerged victorious over Dukakis and subsequently won the general election in November against the liberal Republican Massachusetts House Minority Leader Francis W. Hatch, Jr..
During his term as governor, King implemented a freeze on property taxes, reduced expenditures on social welfare programs, encouraged growth in business and agriculture within Massachusetts, established mandatory minimum sentencing, and enacted legislation to bring back the death penalty, which was later invalidated by the state's Supreme Judicial Court. President Ronald Reagan referred to King as his "favorite Democratic governor" while promoting capital punishment; King reciprocated by endorsing Reagan in the 1984 presidential election.
Reelection campaign
Governor King's 1982 attempt at reelection was undermined by allegations of corruption within the Massachusetts Revenue Department, impacting his Democratic primary contest against former Governor Michael Dukakis. At the State Convention, Dukakis secured the party endorsement and led polls with 68% support compared to King's 20%.
The scandal escalated when Stanley J. Barczak, a state tax examiner, was arrested on bribery charges and subsequently turned informant for Attorney General Francis X. Bellotti. While Barczak's testimony resulted in trials, accusations of extensive corruption were never substantiated. Notably, Barczak had a prior tax fraud conviction and had been involved in King's 1978 campaign before joining the revenue department in 1981.
John F. Coady, King's deputy revenue commissioner and longtime associate, became entangled in the investigation and tragically died by suicide in July 1982 after reinstating Barczak following departmental budget cuts. Initially resistant to releasing subpoenaed tax records, Revenue Commissioner Joyce Hampers eventually agreed to provide documents related to 195 individuals under suspicion after negotiations. Hampers later accused the lead prosecutor of biased actions favoring Dukakis politically, prompting King to instruct her to refrain from making public comments.
Complicating matters further were Hampers' own tax difficulties; she and her husband repaid back taxes after a court invalidated their tax shelter arrangement. Despite King's $1 million advertising campaign emphasizing tax reductions and law enforcement initiatives, the controversy significantly harmed his reelection effort.
Dukakis leveraged these corruption allegations and criticized King's alignment with Reaganomics policies, ultimately defeating him in the primary to secure the Democratic nomination.
Post-political career
Following his tenure as governor, King became affiliated with the public relations agency Hill & Knowlton. In 1985, he transitioned to the Republican Party and contemplated running for governor again in 1986 under their banner. He supported George H.W. Bush during the 1988 United States presidential election. King continued to maintain homes in both Massachusetts and Florida until his passing.
His spouse Josephine died in 1995. He was survived by two sons, Timothy and Brian. Additionally, his brother Paul held a judicial position in Massachusetts.
Cabinet
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