Dorothy Kelly Gay facts for kids

Dorothy "Dot" A. Kelly Gay is an important American politician. She was born in Ireland. She served as the mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts. She was also a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council.

Growing Up and Becoming a Nurse

Dorothy Gay was born on April 26, 1943. Her hometown was Ballinasloe, in County Galway, Ireland. Her father was a politician, a nurse, and a union activist.

She went to Newtown National School. She also attended Convent of Mercy Secondary School. Later, she studied at Ballinasloe Technical School. In 1961, she moved to England. There, she began her career in nursing. She graduated from the Mayday Hospital School of Nursing in Surrey in 1964.

In the early 1960s, she met Bertram Gay in London. They later got married. In 1968, they moved to the United States. They came because their child needed a special surgery. This surgery was only available at Boston Children's Hospital. They made their home in Somerville, Massachusetts. Dorothy found a job at Somerville's Heritage Hospital. She worked as a nurse until 1999.

Her Time in Politics

Dorothy Kelly Gay began her political career in 1986. She was first appointed to the Somerville School Committee. This committee helps make decisions for the city's schools. Ten months later, she was elected to serve a full term.

In 1992, Gay was elected to the Massachusetts Governor's Council. This council works with the Governor of Massachusetts. In 1998, she decided to run for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. She ran in the Democratic primary election. She lost to State Senator Warren Tolman.

In 1999, Gay was elected Mayor of Somerville. This happened in a special election. She took over from Michael Capuano. He had been elected to the United States House of Representatives. Dorothy Gay won against John Buonomo. Later that year, she ran for a full term as mayor. She was elected without anyone running against her.

In 2003, Gay ran for mayor again. She finished third in the first election round. Joseph Curtatone and Tony Lafuente finished ahead of her. During her time as mayor, there were some challenges. These included difficult economic times. This led to cuts in public services. She also had to reduce the number of city workers.