George Rogers (August 2, 1933 – June 30, 2018) was an American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts General Court and as Mayor of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
George Rogers | |
|---|---|
 George Rogers in 1967 | |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 12th Bristol District | |
| In office 1999–2003 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph McIntyre |
| Succeeded by | Mark A. Howland |
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Bristol and Plymouth District | |
| In office 1975–1978 | |
| Preceded by | John F. Parker |
| Succeeded by | Robert M. Hunt |
| Mayor of New Bedford, Massachusetts | |
| In office 1970–1971 | |
| Preceded by | Edward F. Harrington |
| Succeeded by | John A. Markey |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 2nd Bristol District | |
| In office 1969–1970 | |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 7th Bristol District | |
| In office 1965–1969 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 2, 1933 New Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Died | June 30, 2018 (aged 84) New Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | New Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Alma mater | Providence College |
| Occupation | Teacher Politician |
Early career
editBorn and raised in New Bedford, Rogers graduated from Providence College in 1958 and later taught at Fairhaven High School and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School.[1] He began his career in elected office as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he served from 1965 to 1970. In 1969, he was elected Mayor of New Bedford.[2] In 1971, Rogers lost his reelection campaign to John A. Markey.[3]
Return to the General Court
editIn 1974, Rogers returned to New Bedford politics as a Councilor-at-Large. Later that year, he was also elected to the Massachusetts Senate. In 1978, Rogers was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery and was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $5,000.[4]
In 1980, Rogers was once again elected Councilor-at-Large, a position he held until 2003. From 1999 to 2003, he simultaneously held seats on the New Bedford City Council and in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Rogers was defeated in the 2002 Democratic primary by Freetown, Massachusetts Selectman Mark A. Howland.[5] Rogers's defeat came months after he was accused of showing pornography to a minor; he was eventually found not guilty.[6][7]
Later career
editRogers lost re-election to the New Beford City Council in 2003. He ran for the Democratic nomination for his old House seat in 2004, finishing third behind Stephen Canessa and Mark A. Howland.[8] In 2015, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the New Bedford School Committee.[9][10] Rogers died in 2018 at age 84.[11]
References
edit- ^ Aimee Chiavaroli (Jul 1, 2018). "Former mayor, state legislator George Rogers dead at 84". southcoasttoday.com.
- ^ George B. Merry (November 3, 1969). "Mayoral races spark N.E. elections". Christian Science Monitor.
- ^ "There Were Surprises, a Few Irregularities in N.E. Mayoralty Voting Tuesday". Associated Press. October 6, 1971. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "Lawmaker collapses at jail sentencing". UPI. August 25, 1978. Archived from the original on 2020-02-09. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 2002. 2002.
- ^ Dave Wedge (January 10, 2002). "New Bedford rep cleared of showing porn to minor". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ Aimee Chiavaroli (Jul 1, 2018). "Former mayor, state legislator George Rogers dead at 84". southcoasttoday.com.
- ^ Massachusetts Election Statistics 2004. 2004.
- ^ Curt Brown (October 25, 2015). "At 82, George Rogers still has a desire to serve". southcoasttoday.com.
- ^ Aimee Chiavaroli (Jul 1, 2018). "Former mayor, state legislator George Rogers dead at 84". southcoasttoday.com.
- ^ Aimee Chiavaroli (Jul 1, 2018). "Former mayor, state legislator George Rogers dead at 84". southcoasttoday.com.