List of mayors and city managers of Lowell, Massachusetts

This is a list of mayors and city managers of Lowell, Massachusetts. Lowell became a city in 1836. From 1836 to 1943 the mayor of Lowell was the chief administrative officer of the city. Lowell switched to a Massachusetts "Plan E" form of city government in 1943, since January 1, 1944 the city has been administrated by a professional city manager, the office of mayor, while retained under "Plan E", is strictly a ceremonial one.

Mayors

# Mayor Picture Term Party Notes1stElisha Bartlett 1836–1838Whig2ndLuther Lawrence 1838 – April 17, 1839 FederalistAElisha Huntington April 1839 – April 1840 WhigBecame acting mayor after the death of Luther Lawrence in April 1839.3rdElisha Huntington April 1840 – April 1842 Whig4thNathaniel Wright April 1842 – April 1844 Citizens ticket, (1842); Whig (1843)5thElisha Huntington April 1844 – January 1846 Whig6thJefferson Bancroft 1846–1848Whig7thJosiah B. French 1849–1850 Coalitionist/DemocraticDuane Hamilton Hurd, History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches, Volume 2, 18908th James H.B. Ayer 1851 Whig9thElisha Huntington January 1852 – January 1853 Whig10thSewall G. Mack 1853–1854 Whig11thAmbrose Lawrence 1855Native American Party12thElisha Huntington 1856Whig13thStephen Mansur 1857 Republican 14thElisha Huntington January 1858 – January 1859Whig15thJames Cook 1859 Republican 16thBenjamin C. Sargent 1860–1861 Republican 17th Hocum Hosford 1862–1865 Citizens ticket (1862–1863), Republican (1864)18thJosiah G. Peabody 1865–1866 RepublicanThe Lowell Sun, The Latest Combination for a Republican Ticket, July 23, 188719th George F. Richardson 1867 – January 4, 1869 Republican 20thJonathan P. Folsom January 4, 1869 – 1870 Republican 21st Edward Fay Sherman 1871Republican 22nd Josiah G. Peabody 1872Republican 23rdFrancis Jewett 1873–1875RepublicanThe Lowell Sun, The Spellbinder – A Sensitive Politician, August 1, 191424thCharles A. Stott January 1, 1876 – 1877Republican 25th John A. G. Richardson January 7, 1878 – 1879Democratic26th Frederic T. Greenhalge 1880 – January 2, 1882 Republican27thGeorge Runels January 2, 1882RepublicanThe Granite Monthly: A New Hampshire Magazine, Volumes 43–44, Concord, NH, 191128th John J. Donovan 1883–1884 Democratic First Irish-American Mayor of Lowell Marie, "Some Mayoral History", RichardHowe.com, January 5, 2014.29th Edward J. Noyes 1885 RepublicanThe Boston Daily Globe, In Smaller Cities – Lowell, December 10, 188430th James C. Abbott 1886–1887 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, A Democratic Duty, December 11, 188631stCharles Dana Palmer1888 – January 1891RepublicanThe Lowell Sun, Senter and Drury – These Are the Gentlemen the Democrats Elect Aldermen, December 15, 188832nd George W. Fifield January 1891 – 1892 DemocraticFrederick William Coburn, History of Lowell and Its People, Volume 1, 1920, p. 36133rd John J. Pickman 1893–1894 Republican 34th William F. Courtney 1895–1897DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, William F. Courtney for Mayor – Renominated with Great Enthusiasm at the Democratic Convention, November 27, 189535th Col. James W. Bennett 1898 RepublicanThe Granite Monthly: A New Hampshire Magazine, Volumes 34–35, Concord, NH, 190336th Jeremiah Crowley 1899–1900 Democratic Irish-American37th Charles A. R. Dimon 1901 – May 5, 1902DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, The Spellbinder – The Next Election, April 29, 1916A William E. Badger 1902 RepublicanActing38thCharles E. Howe 1903–1904Republican39thJames B. Casey 1905–1906 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, Many Surprises, December 9, 1908 Irish-American40th Frederick W. Farnham 1907–1908Republican41st George H. Brown January 1, 1909-January, 1910Republican42nd John F. Meehan 1910–1911 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, Results of Last Night's Contests in the Primaries, November 24, 1909 Irish-American43rdJames E. O'Donnell 1912–1913 Democratic Irish-American44th Dennis J. Murphy 1914–1915 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, Big Caucuses – Democrats Turn Out Strongly in all Wards, November 16, 1901 Irish-American45th James E. O'Donnell 1916–1917 Democratic46thPerry D. Thompson 1918–1921Republican47th George H. Brown 1922 Republican48th John J. Donovan 1923–1926 Democratic49th Thomas J. Corbett 1927–1928 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, Four Members of Present City Government Give Up Posts, September 9, 193950th Thomas H. Braden 1929–1931 Republican52nd Charles H. Slowey 1932–1933 Democratic53rd James J. Bruin 1934–1935 Democratic54th Dewey G. Archambault 1936–1939 Republican First Franco-American Mayor of LowellThe Lowell Sun, The Archambault Family, June 24, 198255th George T. Ashe 1940–1943 DemocraticA Joseph J. Sweeney 1943 DemocraticActing mayor.Last mayor before the City Manager form of government was established under a Massachusetts Plan E Charter.56th Woodbury F. Howard 1944–1945 RepublicanThe Lowell Sun, Bitter Battle on City's Next Mayor, November 7, 1947First ceremonial mayor.Beginning of the weak mayor system.City manager form of government established on January 1, 1944.57th Leo A. Roy 1946–1947 Republican58th George A. Ayotte 1948–1949 Republican59th William C. Geary 1950 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, Reception to Governor Here Tomorrow, April 29, 195060th George C. Eliades 1951–1952Democratic First Greek-American Mayor of Lowell Lowell Historical Society, "Lowell History Chronology", 201361st Henry Beaudry 1952–1953 RepublicanThe Lowell Sun, Roy, Beaudry, Sullivan and Sweeney Gain on Transfers, November 10, 195162nd John Janas 1954–1955 RepublicanFrank Barrett, The Lowell Sun, Politics, January 10, 1951First Polish-American Mayor of Lowell The Lowell Sun, Council Elects Janas Mayor, April 14, 195463rd Samuel S. Pollard 1956–1959 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, How Vote Went in City Precincts, November 5, 195364th Raymond J. Lord 1960–1961 RepublicanThe Lowell Sun, Raymond J. Lord Dies at 59, February 7, 197265th Joseph M. Downes 1962–1963 DemocraticFrank Barrett, The Lowell Sun, Janas, Pollard, Hockmeyer, McMahon, Ayotte, Beaudry 'In', November 5, 195366th Ellen A. Sampson 1964–1965 RepublicanFirst Female Mayor of Lowell67th Edward J. Early Jr. 1966–1967 Democratic68th Robert G. Maguire 1968–1969 Democratic69th Richard P. Howe 1970–1971 DemocraticFrank Barrett, The Lowell Sun, Councilor and Former Mayor Howe Eyes Challenge to Sen. Joseph Tully, April 23, 197270th Ellen A. Sampson 1972–1973 RepublicanThe Lowell Sun, Voters: Sheehy, Sampson to Win, September 14, 197271st Armand W. LeMay 1974–1975 DemocraticFrank Barrett, The Lowell Sun, High Hopes for Advisory Cabinet Plan, July 15, 197972ndLeo J. Farley 1976–1977 Democratic73rd Raymond F. Rourke 1978–1979 Democratic74th Robert C. Maguire 1980–1981 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, Maguire Endorses Hatem for Congress, September 15, 198075th M. Brendan Fleming 1982–1983 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, Who Goofed on Fleming Endorsement?, August 29, 198276th Brian J. Martin 1984–1985 DemocraticThe Lowell Sun, Election-Watcher's Program for the Races, September 14, 198677th Robert B. Kennedy 1986–1987 Democratic78th Richard P. Howe 1988–1991 Democratic79th Tarsy T. Poulios 1992–1993 Democratic 80th Richard P. Howe 1994–1995 Democratic81st Edward "Bud" Caulfield 1996–1997 82nd Eileen Donoghue 1998–2001 Democratic83rd Rita Mercier 2002–2003 DemocraticCity Councilor and former Mayor Rita Mercier endorsed Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown over Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren in 2012; Lyle Moran, The Lowell Sun, Mercier, a Democrat, endorses Republican Brown, September 14, 201284th Armand Mercier 2004–2005 85thWilliam F. Martin 2006–2007Democratic86thEdward "Bud" Caulfield 2008–2009Democratic87thJames L. Milinazzo 2010–2011Democratic Italian-American88thPatrick O. Murphy 2012–2013IndependentCamire, Chris (August 29, 2012) "GOP, Lowell Mayor Spar Over His 'Independent' Warren Endorsement", The Lowell Sun.Inaugurated at age 29,youngest mayor in Lowell history89thRodney Elliott 2014–2016Democratic90thEdward J. Kennedy 2016–2018Democratic91stWilliam Samaras 2018–2020Democratic 92ndJohn Leahy 2020–2022Independent93rdSokhary Chau 2022-2024Democratic First Cambodian mayor in the United States.94thDaniel Rourke2024–202695thErik Gitschier2026-present

City Managers # City Manager Term Notes1stJohn J. Flannery1944–19522ndUlysses J. Lupien1952–1953 former Massachusetts Director of Civil Service (1939–1944)AWilliam Sullivan19533rdFrank E. Barrett1953–19624thCornelius Desmond1962–1963 former State Representative (1941–1962)5thP. Harold Ready1963–19666thCharles Gallagher1966–1970ALeo Morris19707thJames Sullivan1970–1974 former and future City Manager of Cambridge, Massachusetts (1968–1970, 1974–1981)ARobert W. Healy1974 future City Manager of Cambridge, Massachusetts (1981–2013)8thPaul J. Sheehy1974–1975 former State Representative (1965–1972)AWilliam Busby19759thWilliam S. Taupier1975–1979 former Mayor of Holyoke (1968–1975)AVictor Normand197910thB. Joseph Tully1979–1987 former State Senator (1971–1979)11thJames Campbell1987–1991AJames Kennedy1991Assistant City Manager12thRichard Johnson1991–1995 former Mayor of Taunton (1982–1992)13thBrian J. Martin1995–2000 former Mayor (1984–1985)14thJohn F. Cox2000–2006former State Representative (1983–1995)AJames Kennedy2006Assistant City Manager15thBernard F. Lynch2006–20141st Town Manager of Chelmsford (1989–2006) AMichael Geary2014City Clerk (Dec. 2011-present) & former City Councilor (1994–1996)16thKevin J. Murphy2014–2018former State Representative (1997–2014)17thEileen Donoghue2018–2022former Mayor (1998–2002) & State Senator (2011–2018)AMichael Geary2022City Clerk (Dec. 2011-present) & former City Councilor (1994–1996)18thThomas Golden Jr.2022–presentformer State Representative (1995–2022)

References

External links List of the mayors of Lowell from The University of Massachusetts Lowell