Arthur E. Chase facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur E. Chase
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| Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Worcester District | |
| In office 1991–1995 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas P. White |
| Succeeded by | Robert A. Bernstein |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 4, 1930 Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Died | January 5, 2015 (aged 84) Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Resting place | B'nei Brith cemetery, Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | Wynne L. Chase and later Elaine Kaufman Chase |
| Residences | Naples, Florida |
| Alma mater | Worcester Junior College |
| Occupation | Businessman Politician |
Arthur E. Chase (born February 4, 1930 – died January 5, 2015) was an American businessman and politician. He was a member of the Massachusetts Senate from 1991 to 1995. He represented the Worcester area.
Arthur Chase helped start the Central Massachusetts Legislative Caucus. This group brought together lawmakers from the central part of the state. He also came up with the idea for the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI. In 1992, he helped pass a law to create this special school. In 1994, he ran for Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts but did not win.
Contents
Early Life
Arthur E. Chase was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on February 4, 1930. He went to Commerce High School. Later, he studied at Worcester Junior College.
From 1952 to 1954, Chase served in the United States Army.
Business Career
In 1947, Arthur Chase and his family started a company called Chase Paper Company. They sold paper products, like stationery.
In 1977, the U.S. Small Business Administration named Chase the Small Business Person of the Year. His company was chosen to print the invitations for the 1981 inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. In 1984, Chase sold his share of Chase Paper Company.
In 1989, Chase started a new stationery company called Checkerboard Ltd. This company focused on custom invitations and paper. It was one of the first to use recycled paper for its products.
In 1992, Chase's youngest son, Micah Chase, joined the company. Micah took over as CEO in 1994. In 2011, Checkerboard received an award for being a great family business.
Working for Worcester
Arthur Chase began his public service on the advisory board of Quinsigamond Community College. From 1978 to 1981, he was part of the Worcester School Committee.
On the School Committee, Chase supported teaching in more than one language. He also helped get public transportation for kids in Latino neighborhoods. This meant children no longer had to take dangerous shortcuts to school. He also helped combine the city's vocational and public school systems.
From 1983 to 1989, Chase was a member of the Worcester City Council. He cared about how the city spent money. He worked to improve the city's water system and how it handled waste. He also supported making sure more people were represented on city boards.
Massachusetts State Senate
Arthur Chase served in the Massachusetts Senate from 1991 to 1995. He represented several towns, including Boylston, Clinton, and Shrewsbury. He also represented parts of Worcester.
While in the Senate, he worked on many committees. These included committees for education, health care, and local affairs.
Important Work in the Senate
Senator Chase helped create the Central Massachusetts Legislative Caucus. This group worked on issues important to Central Massachusetts. He also designed the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI. He then sponsored the law to make it happen.
He was a leader in efforts to get rid of county governments. He also worked to change unemployment insurance laws. He supported creating a commuter train service between Worcester and Boston.
In 1991, Senator Chase disagreed with how the School Choice bill was paid for. He felt it took money from poorer towns to help richer ones. Changes were made to the funding over the next three years.
Chase was part of a group that studied state hospitals. He helped move mental health patients from old hospitals to community care. This improved conditions for patients and saved Massachusetts a lot of money.
In 1993, Chase did not support a bill that made it harder to privatize government services. He believed it protected government offices too much.
When the state budget seemed to hurt his district, Senator Chase took action. He worked with other lawmakers to fix the problems.
He worked with Senator Robert A. Antonioni to keep Clinton from having to pay for its sewage plant. An old agreement from 1897 said Clinton would get free sewage services. This was in exchange for allowing part of the town to be flooded to create the Wachusett Reservoir.
Chase also helped get $22 million back for the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. He got support from other lawmakers to put the money back into the budget.
When funding for the Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science was cut, Chase found a solution. He convinced Worcester Polytechnic Institute to loan the academy money. This helped the school until the funds could be added back later.
Campaign for Secretary of the Commonwealth
In 1994, Chase ran for Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was the first Republican to enter the race. Some members of his own party did not support him at first.
He won the primary election by a small number of votes. However, he lost the general election to William F. Galvin.
Later Campaigns
After leaving the Senate, Chase continued to work to end county government. He is known for helping to get rid of some parts of county government that were not needed.
In 1995, Chase led Arlen Specter's presidential campaign in Massachusetts.
In 1996, he ran for Treasurer of Worcester County, Massachusetts. He lost this election.
Republican Party
Arthur E. Chase was a businessman and a Republican. He sometimes had different ideas than others in his party. He was known as a practical politician. He was respected by both Democrats and Republicans.
As a state senator from the minority party, he worked with Democrats. Together, they created the Central Massachusetts Legislative Caucus. This group focused on issues important to their region.
In 1988, Arthur Chase was a delegate for Massachusetts at the Republican National Convention.
Community Leadership
Arthur Chase was a leader who was willing to make tough choices. In 1992, he supported using less expensive flag persons at construction sites instead of police officers. This decision was not popular with police in his area.
He also spoke out against efforts to ban group homes for mentally handicapped teens near schools. He believed this would keep such homes out of Worcester entirely. Chase also served as a foster parent for young people in need.
Community Theater
Arthur Chase was an active member of the Worcester County Light Opera Club (WCLOC) Theater Company. He played a lead role in "The Mikado" in 1947. He was also the WCLOC President from 1954 to 1955. Later, he played Mayor Shinn in "The Music Man."
Naples, Florida
In 2004, Arthur moved to Naples, Florida, with his wife Elaine. He joined the board of directors for the Heron in Pelican Bay. While there, he worked to protect the Clam Pass and its mangrove forest. He also supported many local groups, including the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and the Naples Botanical Gardens.
See Also
- 1991–1992 Massachusetts legislature
- 1993–1994 Massachusetts legislature
