Kevin White, Boston’s Larger-Than-Life Mayor

Kevin Hagan White, one of Boston’s most beloved and impactful mayors of the 20th century, was born on September 25, 1929 in Boston, the son of Irish-Catholic parents Joseph White and Patricia Hagan. He was raised in Jamaica Plain.

Born into a political family – both of his grandfathers were well-known politicians – White followed in the family tradition and rose to become one of the most influential and transformative Boston politicians of his generation.

After receiving his bachelor of arts degree from Williams College and his law degree from the Boston College Law School, White was successful in his first campaign for public office, when he was elected as the secretary of state for Massachusetts in 1960 at age 31.

In 1967 he was elected mayor of Boston and served from 1968 to 1984. During his tenure, he made the revitalization of downtown Boston a priority in order to spur economic growth. Part of his plan was to revitalize Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market as a way of attracting more tourists and residents to visit the downtown area. The plan was a massive success, and the area remains a prime tourism destination some 50 years later.

White was mayor when school busing was mandated by the federal courts in 1974, and that era of school desegregation through forced busing became a touchstone of citizen unrest and discontent, especially in working class neighborhoods where families were most affected, like South Boston, South End, Roxbury, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Roslindale, Dorchester, North End and Charlestown.

As mayor, White was a strong proponent of the arts and initiated summer concerts in city parks and cultural exhibits at city hall, and he built more neighborhood branch libraries than any previous mayor.

During the nation’s bi-centennial in 1976, Mayor White played a leading role in highlighting the contributions of Bostonians in the American Revolution, while helping to propel Boston’s reputation as a world-class city and visitor destination.

After retiring from politics, White was director of Boston University’s Institute for Political Communication from 1984 to 2002, where he shared his political wisdom and savvy with a whole generation of college students.

On November 1, 2006, the City of Boston unveiled the Mayor Kevin Hagan White Statue along Congress Street at Faneuil Hall. Mayor White, his wife Kathryn and their children and grandchildren attended the ceremony, along with over 600 of their friends, relatives, political allies, City Hall workers, and admirers.   Everyone agreed that Faneuil Hall was the most fitting location for the statue, since without Mayor White’s insistence, Faneuil Hall would never have been revived.

The 10 foot high, larger-than-life bronze statue was created by Bolivian-born sculptor Pablo Eduardo.  It depicts Mayor White as the public official he truly was – a man in perpetual motion, his jacket slung over his shoulder, getting things done for Boston. Located on Congress Street next to Faneuil Hall and across the street from Boston City Hall, the Kevin White statue is part of Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail.

The City of Boston Archives holds the Kevin H. White records from his administration.

Kevin H. White died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in 2012. His funeral mass was held at St. Cecilia’s Church in the Back Bay. He is buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery.