Finneran: Bulger to Meehan—-When Past is Prologue
Friday, May 15, 2015
It is more than a curiosity that both of these guys would probably be described by the general public as “pols”, in a most disparaging way. In baseball terms, these guys should be referred to as Mays and McCovey, Mantle and Maris. They were and are leagues ahead of the multitude of pedestrian academics, whose lettered credentials should never be mistaken as an indication of strong leadership. My prediction for President Meehan’s tenure is that he will join President Bulger in the UMass Hall of Fame for sterling progress and achievement.
It is an additional curiosity that their harshest critics are folks who run no risk of being elected to anything at any time by any constituency. When even the office of dogcatcher is beyond one’s reach, perhaps a respectful silence should ensue. Messs. Bulger and Meehan not only won repeated elections to high and serious office. They subsequently and repeatedly won the confidence and respect of their peers and contemporaries. In short, they were, and are, immensely talented individuals.
UMass today is not your father’s Oldsmobile. It is a University on the make and on the move and its propulsion from the old ways and old habits occurred under President Bulger. I have seen a good number of UMass Presidents come and go. None of them could hold a candle to President Bulger.
His “pol” skill set included the ability to see long-term institutional problems as timely opportunities. That same “pol” skill set convinced him that the Commonwealth’s future was inextricably tied to a well-educated citizenry. Thus the focus on academic standards for admission. Thus the focus on beginning the Honors College, a college within a college, for our very best high school students. Thus the recruitment of private sector leaders as champions of change. Thus an extraordinary increase in private fundraising support for the University. Thus an explosion in the University’s endowment. Thus a spectacular growth in alumni participation and excitement regarding University affairs. That’s some “pol”. Would that we had the benefit of many more such pols.
Enter Marty Meehan, former Congressman and currently the Chancellor of UMass Lowell, one of the five campuses of the UMass system. Yes, he’s just another pol. And yes he has transformed UMass Lowell in spectacular indeed in stunning fashion. Marty’s politics may have differed from President Bulger’s but his skill set carries the same DNA. Their skill sets are broad, deep, and multi-dimensional.
As Chancellor Marty Meehan saw the challenges of UMass Lowell as part of a broader mission to both give young students a springboard to success and to transform the City of Lowell. He has drawn upon the math, science, and engineering strengths of the school to engage the very best of the state’s private sector in a shared pursuit of excellence. Think Raytheon goes to college, think GE on campus and in classrooms. This is ground-breaking stuff, cream of the crop achievers sharing knowledge, ideas, and passion with the young leaders of tomorrow. If I were a betting man, I’d bet on Massachusetts.
The common denominator here is that there is no fear of change. Change was seen as necessary, even urgent, and change was pursued. There was no timidity. There was no paralysis. Rather there was the pols’ superlative ability to see things clearly and to get things done, all to the benefit of the body they lead, all to the benefit of the students and taxpayers of Massachusetts.
At least two of those very sensible Mid-Western states seem to have grasped with insight and intuition the formidable skills of political high-achievers. Witness Purdue University’s love affair with Mitch Daniels, the former Governor of Indiana. Witness too Oklahoma’s embrace of former U.S. Senator David Boren as the President of the University of Oklahoma. These two guys, Republicans by the way, are born leaders and their universities are the beneficiaries of their vision. Meehan and Bulger, Democrats by the way, are cut from the same bolt of cloth. Politics, perhaps the ultimate in death-defying career experiences, provides a schooling unlike any other calling. Having excelled in that school, both Bulger and Meehan have excelled at UMass. It comes as no surprise to me. It’s Mays and McCovey, Mantle and Maris. It’s reassuring to watch and it’s a big step forward for the state we love.
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