“I learned a long time ago to just agree with George”, said Newburyport City Clerk Richard Jones last year. “He’s always right.” Considering that George Lawler, Jr., has been mayor of the city, has served on its City Council and was once himself the city clerk (to name just three), it’s hard to argue with Jones.
As far as Newburyport “townies” go, Lawler is the real deal. “I was born here, I’ve lived here all my life, and I’m going to die here God willing,” Lawler declares. Mere paragraphs cannot begin to describe Lawle’s contributions to the City of Newburyport – or tell all his stories. Since 1953, he has been pouring his heart and soul into the city.
Among the “tidbits and stories” that Lawler says “go along with kicking around a city for 50 or 60 years,” are ones involving Sen. Edward Kennedy. In 1962, when Kennedy made his first run for the United States Senate, his campaign person in Newburyport asked Lawler to vote for Kennedy at the state’s Democratic convention.
“Geez,” Lawler replied, “I’m friends with Eddie McCormack (Kennedy’s opponent).” Lawler jokingly added that if his mother told him to, he’d do it. Soon enough, his mother’s phone rang and at the other end of the line was Ted Kennedy. He politely asked Mrs. Lawler to get her son to vote for him at the convention. “I had to vote for him,” Lawler says with a chuckle. “I had no choice! I got a few people mad, but I couldn’t help it!” Two years later Lawler was at the Democratic State Convention in West Springfield when the airplane carrying Kennedy crashed on its way to the convention. “I took on the responsibility of running his Newburyport-area campaign that year,” Lawler notes. Two years more and he and his father were at a Democratic gathering in Lawrence. Kennedy took the stage. “He looked out and saw me. At 6 feet, 4 inches I was hard to miss. Kennedy called out, “Hey George! Did you get the message I sent you? I sent you a telegram! The senator had indeed sent Lawler a telegram, from Shanghai, congratulating him on his election as mayor of Newburyport. Lawler says his father never got over that.
George Lawler started out in city politics in 1953, when he was elected to the Newburyport City Council. He served six terms as councillor and two terms as mayor. In 1971, as he says he was winding down, he became city clerk. He retired from (paid) public office in 1987. At his age – whatever that may be – he serves on the Board of Water Commissioners and is active in the senior citizens center project. It’s been a long run, and he hasenjoyed every minute.
