Robert H. Quinn

Robert Henry Quinn (1928-2014) was a Massachusetts attorney and politician.

For other people named Robert Quinn, see Bob Quinn.
Not to be confused with Robert E. Quinn.
Robert H. Quinn
Quinn circa 1973
38th Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
In office
1969–1975
GovernorFrancis Sargent
Preceded byElliot Richardson
Succeeded byFrancis Bellotti
Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office
1967–1969
Preceded byJohn Davoren
Succeeded byDavid M. Bartley
Majority Leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office
1964–1967
Preceded byJohn Davoren
Succeeded byDavid M. Bartley
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office
1957–1969
Preceded byThomas J. Hannon
Succeeded byJames F. Hart
Personal details
BornJanuary 30, 1928
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJanuary 12, 2014(2014-01-12) (aged 85)
Falmouth, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materBoston College
Harvard Law School
OccupationAttorney
Politician

Early life

Quinn was born January 30, 1928, in Boston, Massachusetts.[1] He was the youngest of seven children. When Quinn was six his father died.[2]

Quinn received a scholarship to Boston College High School and attended Boston College on a football scholarship. While at BC, he was stricken with tuberculosis and it was believed that he would die. Quinn recovered after spending three years in the hospital. He went on to finish college and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1955.[1][2]

Political career
Plaque commemorating Robert H. Quinn at the University of Massachusetts Boston

Quinn was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1957 to 1969 and the speaker of that body from 1967 to 1969. During his tenure in the house, he played a role in the founding of the University of Massachusetts Boston by co-sponsoring the legislation that established the university in conjunction with Massachusetts Senate Majority Leader Maurice A. Donahue.[2][3]

Quinn was elected Massachusetts Attorney General by the Massachusetts Legislature sitting in Joint Convention following Elliot Richardson's selection as Under Secretary of State. He won a full four-year term in 1970. In 1970, Quinn championed legislation that offered financial incentives to law enforcement officers who pursued higher education, which became known as the "Quinn Bill".[2]

Quinn sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 1974, but was defeated by Michael Dukakis.[2]

Later life and death

Following his defeat, co-founded the Quinn and Morris law firm and was a prominent lobbyist. He also served as chairman of the board of trustees of University of Massachusetts (1981-1986)[4] and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.[2]

Quinn died in Falmouth, Massachusetts, on January 12, 2014, at the age of 85.[2][5]

See also

References
  1. Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1967-68.
  2. O'Sullivan, Jim (January 13, 2014). "Robert H. Quinn, former Mass. attorney general and House speaker, has died". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  3. Feldberg, Michael (2015), UMass Boston at 50: A Fiftieth-Anniversary History of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, pp. 8–15, ISBN 9781625341693
  4. Feldberg, Michael (2015), UMass Boston at 50: A Fiftieth-Anniversary History of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, p. 5, ISBN 9781625341693
  5. "Former House Speaker, Attorney General Robert H. Quinn dead at 85".


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