Return to Table of ContentsApril 1998
Paul White Honored at Community Breakfast About 160 people attended UMass Boston's 13th Annual Community Breakfast held March 20. W. Paul White, who served in the Massachusetts Legislature for 24 years, received the 1998 Robert H. Quinn Community Service Award for his outstanding contributions to the citizens of Massachusetts.
A resident of Dorchester, White was elected to the House of Representatives in 1973, where he served until 1988. In 1989 he was elected to the senate seat that represents the 150,000 constituents of the Norfolk and Suffolk districts. He held that position until September 1997, when he left public office to become associate vice president for state and community relations at Boston College.
Over the course of his 24 years in public service, White developed and enacted legislation in the areas of banking, community health, homeless services and judicial reform. He was a champion of working men and women and a staunch supporter of education.
Elected officials, business leaders, clergy members, and civic and non-profit leaders from a wide variety of organizations were on hand to honor White. The Boston Police Department, Citizen's Bank, Boston Edison, the South Boston Residents' Group, and Codman Square Health Center were but a few of the nearly 90 organizations represented at the breakfast.
UMass President William Bulger, Chancellor Sherry Penney and Vice Chancellor Edward O'Malley each shared remarks highlighting the achievements of White and Quinn.
"And so today, our 12th annual community breakfast, is absolutely a celebration of shared ideals: the ideals of Paul White, of Robert Quinn, of this university, and of all of you," Penney said. "Robert Quinn is one of the true founding fathers of UMass Boston," Penney said. Quinn co-sponsored legislation in 1964 that created the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Quinn praised White for being the type of person who can be called on for anything. "You know what the "W" stands for now -- whatever, whenever, wherever," Quinn said of White's first initial.
In his acceptance speech, White thanked UMass Boston for the honor, for giving the award in Quinn's name, and for being a good neighbor. "The University is a great and valued neighbor," White said. "Just by being here it raises the tide and property value for all of us," he said of UMass Boston.
White referred to the Community Service Award as "frosting on the cake." "This is a presentation that I will long appreciate," he said.