Kevin B. Harrington

SALEM — Kevin B. Harrington, 79, of Salem, died peacefully on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008, at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers. He was the devoted husband of Kathleen M. (Carney) Harrington, with whom he shared 53 years of marriage.

Born in Salem, and a lifelong resident of the city, he was the youngest of six children of the late Cornelius J. and Mary (Whalen) Harrington.

He was a graduate of St. Mary's Boys High in Lynn and St. Louis University in St. Louis, where he met his future wife. Upon graduation, he taught government and history and coached basketball at Merrimack College. A member of a well-known political family on the North Shore, he was elected to the Salem City Council in 1957 and to the Mass. State Senate in 1958, where he served for 20 years. From 1970 to 1978, he served as President of the Senate. He also founded and served as first president of the National Conference of State Legislatures, an organization representing more than 7,500 legislators from all 50 states. He was well known throughout his legislative career for his commitment to public education. In the early 1960s, he co-chaired the Willis-Harrington Commission, whose recommendations led to widespread reform in public education in the state. Among the many reforms mandated by the legislation filed by the Commission was the granting of full state college status to the former Mass. state teachers colleges. He also authored legislation establishing minimum pay standards and certification requirements for teachers, mandating kindergarten education throughout the state, and was a key sponsor of legislation that created the METCO program and regional vocational schools. Close to home, he secured the funds that allowed Salem State College to build its library, its main campus academic building, its dormitories, the O' Keefe athletic complex, outdoor tennis courts and soccer field. He also guaranteed the funding that allowed the College to acquire the former Ste. Chretienne Academy property, which is now the College's south campus. The College named the main academic building there in his honor. He was renowned for his prolific knowledge of Massachusetts political history, often regaling colleagues and students with colorful stories of elected officials and public policy debates stretching back almost 70 years. He was also very proud of the dozens of young people from his district whose own careers in public service began with summer or other part-time employment in his office.

He had a life-long association with basketball, playing weekly with a close group of friends until he reached age 50. He also coached for several years at the former St. Mary's School and in the Salem Recreation League, and was a fixture at his children's and grandchildren's games for more than 30 years.

After retiring from the Legislature in 1978, he founded Issues Management Inc., a highly successful lobbying and consulting firm. Over the years, he served on numerous business, civic, educational and philanthropic boards, including: Trustee of Salem Hospital, Overseer at the Peabody Essex Museum, Trustee of Museum of Science, Board of Directors of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Executive Committee of the Mass. Taxpayers Fund, member of the Essex National Heritage Commission, and member of the Clover Club of Boston.

Throughout his life, he kept active in educational circles, serving as a teacher and guest lecturer at several colleges and universities, including Harvard, UMass, Tufts, Clark, MIT, Brandeis, Boston University, Salem State and North Shore Community College. He was the recipient of 10 honorary degrees.

Although a poor student in school, he developed a life-long love of learning. An omnivorous reader, he stocked the library in his home with hundreds of books, many of which he received as gifts on holidays and anniversaries, and would often read a half dozen books at a time. He subscribed to the Chronicle of Higher Education for more than 25 years. In recent years, he became quite active as a member of the Board of Trustees of Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, where he helped to raise the funds necessary to construct the school's athletic fields. He also served on the Board of Trustees of St. Anselm College, in Manchester, N.H., where he was instrumental in the establishment of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

In addition to his loving wife, he is survived by two sons and three daughters, Neil J. and his wife Sarah of Salem, Kevin B. Jr. and his wife Linda of Shrewsbury, Ann M. of Salem, Maureen F. Harrington and Ellen Bedingfield of Kittery Point, Maine, and Joan M. and her husband Thomas O'Hare of Salem. He leaves one dear sister, Rita L. Harrington of Peabody. He also leaves 11 special grandchildren, Sarah, Grace, Maeve and Hugh Harrington of Salem, Lauren, Lindsay, Kevin and Robert Harrington of Shrewsbury and Thomas, Molly and Charles O'Hare of Salem; as well as several beloved nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Rev. Cornelius J. and Joseph B. Harrington, and two sisters, Margaret Suslak and Sheila Hooley.

The Harrington family asks their relatives and friends to pray for the repose of his soul, particularly by attendance at Mass and the recitation of the rosary.

ARRANGEMENTS: A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Immaculate Conception Church, 15 Hawthorne Blvd., Salem at 10 a.m. on. Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008. There are no visiting hours, and burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bishop Fenwick High School, c/o The Development Office, 99 Margin St., Peabody, MA 01960. For online guest book or additional information, please contact the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St., corner of North Street, Salem, 978 744 0497 or visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com.