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Dorchester Connection Interview with UMass President William Bulger - June 29, 2026

City Council — Monday, June 29, 2026
BodyBoston, Massachusetts
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, June 29, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 26:50
Transcript — Verbatim
0:39

Hello, I'm Catherine O'Neill, and welcome to the Dorchester Connection.

0:43

And our guest today has a lot of Dorchester connections.

0:46

And he is the president of the University of Massachusetts President William Bulger.

0:51

And thank you, President Bulger, for coming back onto the Dorchester Connection.

0:55

I'm delighted to be here.

0:57

And now, I will say, I will open with this.

1:00

Tell our audience where you were born, sir.

1:03

I was born in Dorchester, in uh St.

1:07

Mark's Parish, where I was baptized.

1:10

And so uh I'm pleased to tell you I'm uh Dorchester right.

1:16

Well, we know.

1:16

W we we can see in Dorchester like uh the uh Mesopotamia, the land between our lives.

1:22

That's right.

1:22

All life began.

1:24

That's right.

1:25

And we knew that you were from Deutschest.

1:27

Uh and we let South Boston borrow you for a while.

1:29

Yeah, and I know how you know it.

1:31

You know it from my little m political memoir.

1:34

That's right.

1:34

That's right.

1:35

And I had told the um the world in that that I had been born there, but I never liked anyone to know in South Boston because we kind of um we don't mind if you were born in um I don't know, in Europe.

1:49

Right.

1:49

In uh some other part of the country, but another part of the city.

1:53

Hmm.

1:54

Particularly Dorchester.

1:56

Especially Dorchester.

1:57

Well, we're famous.

1:57

Dorchester is famous for being next to someone.

2:00

That's one of the things.

2:01

You were living in our uh reflected uh glory or whatever.

2:04

Now, the University of Massachusetts President Bulger has really played uh a pivotal role in your future.

2:11

Uh I mean your career.

2:13

When in 1978, you became president of the Senate because of a little scandal over at the Dorchester campus, the it accelerated the and now you're president of the uh University of Massachusetts.

2:29

Right.

2:30

Did you ever think that it wasn't?

2:31

No, never.

2:32

No.

2:32

No, I uh are you interested in just how it came about?

2:35

Yeah, absolutely.

2:36

Just very briefly, um the the uh the my predecessor, the president of the University of Massachusetts, one Michael Hooker, uh, came from down in uh uh Carolina, where he had uh gone to school, and uh he he um the presidency became vacant.

2:55

It was offered to him, and he desperately wanted to go there.

2:59

And and he did.

3:01

He just abruptly left.

3:03

And uh the people here were uh faced with the challenge of finding someone to succeed him.

3:10

And when Jim O'Leary, who was on the board of the uh trustees of the University of Massachusetts, called me.

3:17

I think he was just he had a had had a conversation with the members of the board, and he said, just on a long shot, what do you think?

3:23

I said, gee, I had never thought of it.

3:26

It sounds intriguing.

3:28

And um, you know, I after 35 years in the legislature, it may be time to disengage.

3:34

And uh so I uh I said, why don't you just let us just look at this for a moment?

3:39

I sort of watched uh to see how serious they were, and also whether they indeed they could uh achieve their uh you know, making good on their offer.

3:49

And they they could.

3:51

And so I said I would, and it was as easy as that.

3:55

It must have been quite something, though, to leave the Senate.

3:57

It was hard, you know.

3:58

Presidency of the Senate is a wonderful uh position, and you think can think you you're doing things that are so so worthwhile, and that um the whole the world of politics to my mind is uh important, attractive, it's good.

4:15

And uh I I think of uh I I was studied ancient Greek where democracy began, ancient Greece, you know, in Athens and I think of people like Pericles who said that uh those who are in the uh public business, he said we don't regard them as busybodies, but we do regard those who do not involve themselves as useless.

4:41

He would be shocked to see that we don't even involve ourselves to uh participate in voting.

4:46

Never mind offering ourselves as candidates for the public office.

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Summary of Proceedings

Dorchester Connection Interview with UMass President William Bulger - June 29, 2026

On June 29, 2026, the Dorchester Connection program hosted President William Bulger of the University of Massachusetts for a wide-ranging interview. Host Catherine O'Neill led the conversation, which covered Bulger's childhood in Dorchester, his political career as Senate president, his transition to academia, and his views on education, politics, and media.

Discussion Items

  • Bulger's Background and UMass Presidency: Bulger recounted his birth in Dorchester's St. Mark's Parish and his move to South Boston. He described his unexpected appointment as UMass president in 1998 after President Michael Hooker left abruptly. He expressed pride in UMass as a public university amidst many private institutions, noting that many students are first-generation college-goers with a median age of 26, making them highly serious about learning.
  • Raising Admission Standards: Bulger detailed efforts to increase GPA and SAT requirements while preserving discretion for students with language difficulties or late bloomers. He emphasized that community college students with a sufficient GPA are guaranteed admission to UMass as juniors, ensuring access without lowering standards.
  • Alumni Success and Outreach: He highlighted award-winning advertising campaigns featuring notable alumni such as CEOs Jack Welch and Jack Smith, astronaut Katie Coleman, and an Oscar-winning screenwriter from the Dartmouth campus. He noted that approximately 80% of UMass alumni remain in Massachusetts, contributing to the state's workforce.
  • Political Observations: Bulger discussed the decline in contested elections, citing personal attacks, cost, and media sensationalism as deterrents to candidates. He reflected on his relationship with former Governor Bill Weld, praised Weld's humor, but criticized the short tenure of Weld's appointees. He also recounted his long-standing disagreements with the Boston Globe over busing and media fairness.
  • Differences Between Roles: Bulger contrasted his current role—managing five campuses, 58,000 students, and a more orderly pace—with the constant travel and entertainment duties of a Senate president. He noted his wife is happier now.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes or decisions occurred; the interview served as a public dialogue. Bulger affirmed his commitment to UMass and public education, reiterated the importance of political participation, and encouraged viewers to consider public service despite its challenges.

Meeting Transcript

Hello, I'm Catherine O'Neill, and welcome to the Dorchester Connection. And our guest today has a lot of Dorchester connections. And he is the president of the University of Massachusetts President William Bulger. And thank you, President Bulger, for coming back onto the Dorchester Connection. I'm delighted to be here. And now, I will say, I will open with this. Tell our audience where you were born, sir. I was born in Dorchester, in uh St. Mark's Parish, where I was baptized. And so uh I'm pleased to tell you I'm uh Dorchester right. Well, we know. W we we can see in Dorchester like uh the uh Mesopotamia, the land between our lives. That's right. All life began. That's right. And we knew that you were from Deutschest. Uh and we let South Boston borrow you for a while. Yeah, and I know how you know it. You know it from my little m political memoir. That's right. That's right. And I had told the um the world in that that I had been born there, but I never liked anyone to know in South Boston because we kind of um we don't mind if you were born in um I don't know, in Europe. Right. In uh some other part of the country, but another part of the city. Hmm. Particularly Dorchester. Especially Dorchester. Well, we're famous. Dorchester is famous for being next to someone. That's one of the things. You were living in our uh reflected uh glory or whatever. Now, the University of Massachusetts President Bulger has really played uh a pivotal role in your future. Uh I mean your career. When in 1978, you became president of the Senate because of a little scandal over at the Dorchester campus, the it accelerated the and now you're president of the uh University of Massachusetts. Right. Did you ever think that it wasn't? No, never. No. No, I uh are you interested in just how it came about? Yeah, absolutely. Just very briefly, um the the uh the my predecessor, the president of the University of Massachusetts, one Michael Hooker, uh, came from down in uh uh Carolina, where he had uh gone to school, and uh he he um the presidency became vacant. It was offered to him, and he desperately wanted to go there. And and he did. He just abruptly left. And uh the people here were uh faced with the challenge of finding someone to succeed him. And when Jim O'Leary, who was on the board of the uh trustees of the University of Massachusetts, called me. I think he was just he had a had had a conversation with the members of the board, and he said, just on a long shot, what do you think? I said, gee, I had never thought of it. It sounds intriguing. And um, you know, I after 35 years in the legislature, it may be time to disengage.

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