Thomas Birmingham
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Thomas Francis Birmingham (August 4, 1949 – January 20, 2023) was an American politician who served as the
President of the Massachusetts Senate The president of the Massachusetts Senate is the presiding officer. Unlike the United States Congress, in which the vice president of the United States is the ''ex officio'' president of the United States Senate, in Massachusetts, the president ...
. He is widely credited, along with
Mark Roosevelt Mark Roosevelt (born December 10, 1955) is an American academic administrator and politician who served as the seventh president of the Santa Fe campus of St. John's College. He was the President of Antioch College from January 2011 to December ...
, with passage of a sweeping education bill, th
Education Reform Act of 1993
He was a graduate of
Austin Preparatory School Austin Preparatory School, known as Austin Prep, is a co-educational Catholic school for students in grades 6 to 12 located in Reading, Massachusetts within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustin ...
,
Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...
,
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
, and
Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...
, and he received a
Rhodes Scholarship The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Established in 1902, it is ...
to study at
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
after his 1972 graduation from
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Massachusetts governor in 2002, despite impressive fundraising. An avid cyclist, Birmingham biked across the state of
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
in 2001. In 1999, his proposal to keep the home stadium of the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
in
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
was accepted by Patriots owner
Robert Kraft Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainmen ...
and passed by the state legislature. Birmingham served as senior counsel at the law firm of
Edwards Wildman Palmer Edwards Wildman was an AmLaw 100 law firm. It was formed from the 2011 merger of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge and Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon. Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge had been formed by the 2005 merger of Edwards & Angell LLP and Palmer ...
, taught state and local government at
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
and education policy at
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...
in Boston. In March 2014, he joined
Citizen Schools Citizen Schools is an American nonprofit organization that partners with middle schools across the United States to expand the learning day for children in low-income communities. Its stated mission is "educating children and strengthening commun ...
Massachusetts as executive director. In early 2015, he left Citizen Schools Massachusetts to become a distinguished senior fellow in education at
Pioneer Institute Pioneer Institute is a free-market think tank based in Boston, Massachusetts. The organization was founded in 1988 by Lovett C. Peters. Pioneer's stated mission is "to develop and communicate dynamic ideas that advance prosperity and a vibrant ci ...
. His is listed as a notable holder of the Birmingham coat of arms. His wife,
Selma Botman Selma Botman (born 1950) is an American academic. Her post at the University of Maine System (UMS) Chancellor's Office focused on expanding the systems international education programs, recruiting foreign students, and coordinating overseas facul ...
, has a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies from
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
and served as the President of the
University of Southern Maine The University of Southern Maine (USM) is a public university with campuses in Gorham and Portland, Maine, United States. It is the southernmost university in the University of Maine System. It was founded as two separate state universities, Go ...
. They have two daughters, Erica and Megan. Birmingham died on January 20, 2023, at the age of 73.


See also

*
1991–1992 Massachusetts legislature The 177th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1991 and 1992 during the governorship of Bill Weld. William Bulger served as president of the Senate and Char ...
* 1993–1994 Massachusetts legislature * 1995–1996 Massachusetts legislature *
1997–1998 Massachusetts legislature The 180th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1997 and 1998 during the Governor of Massachusetts, governorships of Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci. Thomas F. Bir ...
*
1999–2000 Massachusetts legislature The 181st Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1999 and 2000 during the Governor of Massachusetts, governorship of Paul Cellucci. Tom Birmingham served as Pre ...
* 2001–2002 Massachusetts legislature


References


External links


Distinguished Senior Fellow in Education at Pioneer Institute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Birmingham, Tom 1949 births 2023 deaths American Rhodes Scholars Harvard Law School alumni Massachusetts state senators Presidents of the Massachusetts Senate Politicians from Chelsea, Massachusetts Harvard College alumni Lawyers from Chelsea, Massachusetts Phillips Exeter Academy alumni 21st-century members of the Massachusetts General Court 20th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court