Henri "Henry" Beaudry (February 14, 1896 – March 14, 1969) was a local business person and a Franco-American politician who served as the sixty-first mayor of Lowell, Massachusetts.
Politics
Beaudry was a Republican and a self-proclaimed middle-of-the-road public servant.Frank E. Barrett, The Lowell Sun, Politics, January 8, 1952 He represented Ward 7, an area whose boundaries encompassed Lowell's Acre neighborhood.
He sat on the local school committee in 1944-45 and in 1948-49.Frank E. Barrett, The Lowell Sun, Markham, Burns Neck and Neck; Hoar is 'In', November 14, 1947
He was a defeated candidate for city councilor in 1939 The Lowell Sun, Four Members of Present City Government Give Up Posts, September 9, 1939 and 1949.The Lowell Sun, Thumbnail Sketches of Candidates for City Council and School Board - Who's Who of Those in Tuesday's Election Contest, November 4, 1951 On his third attempt, he was elected to the city council and served two terms in 1952-53 and 1954-55.The Lowell Sun, Roy, Beaudry, Sullivan and Sweeney Gain on Transfers, November 10, 1951 In January 1952, he was chosen by the city council on the 26th ballot to serve a two-year term as mayor.Frank E. Barrett, The Lowell Sun, Politics, January 9, 1952
Mayor Beaudry's accomplishments include the organization of the Grotto & Way of the Cross landmark near the Franco-American orphanage, the inaugural of the City of Lights parade, an annual event that celebrates the official start to the holiday season, and the October 16, 1952 presidential visit of Harry S. Truman to Lowell, MA.The Lowell Sun, Sidelights of Visit Here by Nation's Chief Executive, October 17, 1952 He attended social functions associated with the promotion of the French culture in New England.The Lowell Sun, Many at French Language Congress Meeting in Lowell, April 25, 1952 Under his tenure as mayor, the council ran through three city managers. Ulysses J. Lupien, another Franco-American Republican, was appointed with Beaudry's support.Frank E. Barrett, The Lowell Sun, U.J. Lupien Takes Office Tomorrow, November 30, 1952 However, he was ousted a year later, against the mayor's wish.Paul B. Crowley, The Lowell Sun, Frank Barrett Elected Lowell City Manager, November 19, 1953
Beaudry lost his bid for re-election to the city council in 1955.James E. Finn, The Lowell Sun, Beaudry Defeated in His Bid for Re-Election to Council, November 14, 1955
Business
As a youngster he worked as clerk for his parents' grocery store, located at 275-277 Aiken Street. In the 1940s and the 1950s, he was the owner of Henry's Restaurant, located at 331-333 Moody Street.Polk City Directories of Lowell, MA, 1900-1966
Personal life
Beaudry was born in 1896 in Lowell, MA. He was a Roman Catholic and the son of French-speaking Canadian immigrants from Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie, Québec.His parents were Gaspard Beaudry and Dorothée "Dorothy" Hénault; United States Census Records, 1910
He and his family lived at 776-780 Merrimack Street in 1939-1942 and on the upper floor of his restaurant business from 1946 until the time of his death.
He and his wife, Marie "Mary" Laplante Beaudry (1901-1975), divorced while he was in office.James E. Finn, The Lowell Sun, Mrs. Marie Beaudry Granted Divorce from Lowell Mayor, January 12, 1953 The couple had two daughters: Dorothy Beaudry Gifford (1925-...) and Beatrice Beaudry Sheehan (1926-2013).
He was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and served as president of the Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic College for Boys Alumni Committee.Rode Sergi, The Lowell Sun, Many Alumni of Saint Joseph's BHS Attained Posts of Prominence, April 30, 1967
His funeral took place in 1969 at Saint-Jean-Baptiste Roman Catholic Church, 741 Merrimack Street. He was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery, 96 Riverneck Road, Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
Henry Beaudry was mentioned in Jack Kerouac's writings.
References