Bruce Bolling

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 in the 1980s
President of the Boston City Council
In office
1986–1987
Preceded byJoseph M. Tierney
Succeeded byChristopher A. Iannella
Member of the Boston City Council
In office
September 1992 – 1994
Preceded byChristopher A. Iannella
Succeeded byPeggy Davis-Mullen and Richard P. Iannella
ConstituencyAt-large
In office
1984–1991
Preceded bydistrict created
Succeeded byAnthony Crayton
ConstituencyDistrict 7
In office
1982–1984
Preceded byLawrence DiCara, Patrick F. McDonough, Rosemarie Sansone, and John W. Sears
Succeeded byN/A
ConstituencyAt-large
Personal details
Born(1945-04-29)April 29, 1945
DiedSeptember 11, 2012(2012-09-11) (aged 67)
Boston, Massachusetts, US
NationalityAmerican
SpouseJoyce Ferriabough
Alma mater

Early years

Bolling was educated at Boston English High School, Northeastern University, 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

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.

Bolling (third from right) next to Mayor Raymond Flynn (center), with several Boston City Council members (ca.1984–1987)

Later years and legacy

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
  1. "BRUCE C. BOLLING". The Boston Globe. August 5, 1993. p. 32. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
  2. "Boston Council Member Bruce Bolling Magazine Candidacy In Mayoral Race". Jet. Vol. 84, no. 12. July 19, 1993. p. 29 – via Google Books.
  3. "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.
  4. "Bolling to fill council vacancy". The Boston Globe. September 23, 1992. Retrieved February 24, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
  5. "Bolling is welcomed back to City Council". The Boston Globe. September 24, 1992. Retrieved February 24, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
  6. "BRUCE BOLLING". The Boston Globe. September 19, 1993. p. 7. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
  7. "About MassAlliance". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-03-31 – via Wayback Machine.
  8. Ryan, Andrew (September 11, 2012). "Bruce Bolling, first black president of Boston City Council, dies at 67". The Boston Globe.
  9. "Bruce C. Bolling Building Renaming Ceremony". cityofboston.gov. April 7, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  10. "Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building". Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via Google Maps.
  11. Crimaldi, Laura (April 7, 2015). "Roxbury building renamed in honor of Bruce Bolling, a pioneer". The Boston Globe.

Further reading
Publications by Bolling
Publications about Bolling
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