Michael Dukakis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Dukakis
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Dukakis in 1977
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| 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 6, 1983 – January 3, 1991 |
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| Lieutenant | John Kerry Evelyn Murphy |
| Preceded by | Edward J. King |
| Succeeded by | Bill Weld |
| In office January 2, 1975 – January 4, 1979 |
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| Lieutenant | Thomas P. O'Neill III |
| Preceded by | Francis W. Sargent |
| Succeeded by | Edward J. King |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1971 |
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| Preceded by | Sumner Z. Kaplan |
| Succeeded by | Jon Rotenberg |
| Constituency | 10th Norfolk (1963–1965) 13th Norfolk (1965–1971) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michael Stanley Dukakis
November 3, 1933 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Katharine Dickson
(m. 1963) |
| Children | 3, including John (adopted) |
| Relatives | Olympia Dukakis (cousin) |
| Education | Swarthmore College (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Awards | Grand Commander of the Order of Honor |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1955–1957 |
| Rank | Specialist |
| Unit | 8020th Administrative Unit |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
Michael Dukakis, born on November 3, 1933, is a retired American lawyer and politician. He was the governor of Massachusetts for many years. He holds the record as the longest-serving governor in Massachusetts history. He was also one of the first Greek-American governors in the U.S.
In 1988, he ran for president as the Democratic Party candidate. He lost the election to George H. W. Bush, who was then the Vice President.
Dukakis was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. His parents were immigrants from Greece. He went to Swarthmore College and then joined the United States Army. After serving in the Army, he went to Harvard Law School. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1963. He served there until 1971.
He became governor of Massachusetts in 1975. He lost his re-election in 1978 to Edward J. King. But he ran again in 1982 and won. He served as governor from 1983 to 1991. During this time, Massachusetts saw a lot of economic growth. People called it the "Massachusetts Miracle".
After his time as governor, Dukakis joined the board of Amtrak. He also taught political science at Northeastern University and UCLA. He continues to be involved in public affairs.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Michael Dukakis was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. His father, Panos, came from Greece in 1912. Panos Dukakis became a doctor. Michael's mother, Euterpe, was also born in Greece. Her family moved to Massachusetts in 1913.
Dukakis went to Brookline High School. He was a great student and played many sports. When he was 17, he even ran the Boston Marathon. He graduated from Swarthmore College in 1955. He studied political science.
Even though he was accepted into Harvard Law School, Dukakis decided to join the United States Army. He served from 1955 to 1957 in South Korea. After his military service, he earned his law degree from Harvard in 1960. Dukakis was also an Eagle Scout. This is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. His political career began in Brookline, where he was an elected Town Meeting Member.
Serving in the State Legislature
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Dukakis served four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. This was from 1962 to 1970. In 1966, he tried to become the Attorney General of Massachusetts but did not win.
In 1970, Dukakis ran for lieutenant governor. He was on a ticket with Boston mayor Kevin White. However, they lost the election. After this, Dukakis worked as a lawyer.
Governor of Massachusetts
First Term as Governor
Dukakis was elected governor in 1974. He won against the current Republican governor, Francis Sargent. This was during a time when Massachusetts was facing money problems. Dukakis promised to be a "reformer." He also promised "no new taxes" to balance the state budget. He later changed his mind about the taxes after he became governor.
He also wanted to change the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC). This was a large state agency. It had many political workers. The MDC managed state parks and waterways. It also had its own police force. Dukakis's efforts to change the MDC did not succeed. This made the MDC leaders unhappy with him.
Governor Dukakis welcomed President Gerald Ford and Queen Elizabeth II to Boston in 1976. They were there to celebrate the 200th birthday of the United States. He became well-known during the Blizzard of 1978. He went to local TV studios in a sweater to share emergency news.
Dukakis is also remembered for clearing the names of Sacco and Vanzetti in 1977. They were two Italian anarchists whose trial caused protests worldwide. During his first term, he also changed the sentences of many people in prison.
His first term was not enough to stop people from being upset about high sales and property taxes. These taxes became the main issue in the 1978 election. Dukakis lost his party's support. The state's Democratic Party chose to support Edward J. King. King was popular because he was against high property taxes. He also had support from the MDC and public employee unions. Dukakis lost the primary election. His wife, Kitty, called it "a public death."
Between Governorships
After his first time as governor, Dukakis taught at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 1980, he wrote a book called State and Cities: The Massachusetts Experience.
Second Term as Governor
Four years later, Dukakis ran against King again in 1982. He won the Democratic primary this time. He then won the election against his Republican opponent, John Winthrop Sears. John Kerry, who later became a U.S. Senator, was elected lieutenant governor with Dukakis. He served from 1983 to 1985.
Dukakis was governor during a time of great economic success in Massachusetts. This was called the "Massachusetts Miracle." He was known for being very good at managing government. The National Governors Association named him the most effective governor in 1986.
People in Boston remember him for improving the city's mass transit system. He made big changes to the city's trains and buses. He was famous for riding the subway to work every day.
In 1988, Dukakis and his economic adviser, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, wrote a book. It was called Creating the Future: the Massachusetts Comeback and Its Promise for America. It looked at the "Massachusetts Miracle."
1988 Presidential Campaign
Running for President
Dukakis used the "Massachusetts Miracle" to help his campaign. He wanted to become the President of the United States in the 1988 United States presidential election. He won the Democratic primaries. He beat other candidates like Jesse Jackson and Al Gore.
Dukakis used Neil Diamond's song "America" as his campaign theme song. This song is about immigrants. A famous composer, John Williams, even wrote a special song for him. Dukakis officially became the Democratic nominee. He chose Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas as his running mate.
Dukakis sometimes seemed too serious to the public. People thought he lacked passion. However, he did well in the first debate with George H.W. Bush. The New York Times said Dukakis performed better. But in the second debate, his performance was not as good. This made people think he was cold.
The Tank Photograph
During the campaign, some people said Dukakis was weak on defense. He had promised to reduce the "Star Wars" program. To show he was strong, Dukakis planned a photo opportunity. On September 13, 1988, he visited a tank factory in Michigan. He rode in an M1 Abrams tank.
The British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, had taken a successful photo in a tank in 1986. She wore a scarf. Dukakis's team knew that wearing a helmet might not look good. But for safety, he had to wear it when the tank moved fast. Photographers took pictures of him wearing the helmet.
Bush and the media made fun of the image of Dukakis in the tank. A week later, a poll showed that 25% of people were less likely to support him because of it. Bush's campaign used the tank footage in a TV ad. Dukakis tried to respond with his own ad. But this only brought more attention to the tank ride. The phrase "Dukakis in the tank" is still used today for public relations stunts that go wrong.
Election Result
The Dukakis and Bentsen team lost the election. They lost by a lot of votes in the Electoral College to George H. W. Bush and Dan Quayle. They only won 10 states and Washington, D.C..
Dukakis later said he lost because he spent too much time on his governor duties. He should have been campaigning more across the country. During this time, his lead in the polls disappeared. Bush was able to control the campaign's main topics. Dukakis now says his biggest mistake was not responding to Bush's attacks.
Even though Dukakis lost, he did better than the Democratic candidates in the previous two elections. He got 41.8 million votes. He won in states like New York, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington. These states have voted for Democrats in every presidential election since then. He also won Iowa.
After the 1988 Election
Dukakis's last two years as governor were difficult. People criticized his policies more. Taxes also increased to deal with economic problems. He decided not to run for a fourth term.
After leaving office, he joined the board of directors for Amtrak. He also became a professor of political science at Northeastern University and UCLA. He is a founding member of The Next Generation Initiative. This program helps students get involved in public affairs. In 2008, Northeastern University named its Center for Urban and Regional Policy after Michael and Kitty Dukakis.
In 2009, some thought Dukakis might be chosen to fill the U.S. Senate seat after Ted Kennedy died. But Governor Deval Patrick chose Paul G. Kirk instead.
In 2012, Dukakis supported Elizabeth Warren's successful campaign for the U.S. Senate. He also supports good public transportation and high-speed rail. He believes these can help with traffic and airport space issues. He also supports longer learning times in public schools.
In 2014, Dukakis said he did not want South Station renamed after him. However, it was later given that name. He said he would not mind if the future North-South Rail Link was named after him.
Dukakis supported Elizabeth Warren again in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. He later supported Joe Biden for president. He and his wife also supported Ed Markey for his U.S. Senate re-election in 2020.
Family
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Dukakis is married to Katharine D. (Kitty) Dukakis. They have three children: John, Andrea, and Kara. Michael adopted John, who was Kitty's son from her first marriage.
During a presidential debate in 1988, Dukakis shared that he and his wife had another child who died shortly after birth. Dukakis is the cousin of Olympia Dukakis, a famous actress. In 1988, they shared that they attend both Greek Orthodox and Jewish services. This was to respect both of their faiths.
The Dukakises still live in the home they bought in the early 1970s. It is in Brookline, Massachusetts, where they both grew up. They also have a home in Los Angeles for the winters, when he taught at UCLA.
Images for kids
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Dukakis off duty at a gun emplacement overlooking UN Command Military Armistice Commission base camp at Munsan-ni Korea 1956.
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Dukakis while a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
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Dukakis speaking at the 1976 Democratic National Convention
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Governor Dukakis with Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro campaigning in the 1984 presidential election.
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Michael Dukakis at a campaign rally in UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, the night before the US presidential election of 1988 (Mon, November 7, 1988).
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The photograph of Dukakis in an M1 Abrams tank from the US presidential election of 1988.
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The 1988 election with electoral votes by state.
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Dukakis with Brad Sherman in 2001
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Dukakis campaigning with US Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren in 2012
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Dukakis with his wife Kitty in 2015
See also
- Michael Dukakis 1988 presidential campaign
- Ward Commission
