What’s in Your Drawers?

Remember the desks in school that students who had come before you had carved their names into or written them in permanent marker, their presence forever marked in history?

It is not just a schoolhouse tradition . . . it is also a prominent piece of the lore of the Lowell City Council Chamber.

Although few may realize it, the desks at which the councilors sit are the ORIGINAL desks that came with the building — circa 1893.

Over the years City Councilors and School Committee members have left the mark inside the desks wooden drawers. Pens, pencils, carving tools and even fountain pens have been used.

The oldest signature I was able to read is that of Fred Rourke, 1894.

For some it not only a piece of city or their own personal history, but a source of family pride.

There is the grandfather/grandson duo of City Councilor George B. Murphy (1954) and City Councilor/now Mayor Patrick Murphy (2010).

There are the father/son combinations of City Councilor/Mayor Armand LeMay and City Councilor Curtis LeMay; and City Councilor Dan Leahy and School Committee member John Leahy (as well as John’s cousin, City Councilor Mike Lenzi).

There is one father/daughter duo: City Councilor Larry Martin and School Committee member Connie Martin.

And there are two husband/wife teams: City Councilor Samuel Sampson and his wife City Councilor and the city’s first female Mayor Ellen Sampson; and City Councilor Rodney Elliott and his wife City Councilor Laurie Machado.

In addition to the elected officials, the drawers also hold the names of some of their children and grandchildren who visited the chamber on Inauguration Day, and mock trial and student city council participants from Lowell High School who have used the chamber over the years. One that stands out from that group is Walter Poirier 1994. Wally was a LHS graduate (Class of ’94), who disappeared while working with the Peace Corps in Bolivia in February 2001. He was 22-years-old.

The visible names of elected officials in the existing drawers (the drawer in the desk used by City Councilor Kevin Broderick is missing), include:

• Pat Walsh 1958 + 1959
• Samuel S. Pollard 1952-53 1954-55 1942-43 Plan B
• Patrick Óisin Murphy 2010
• Chanrithy (Rithy) Uong “First color person to serve as city councilor in Lowell elected 11/2/99”
• Clement Gregory McDonough 1941-1981
• John Donahue 1905
• H.S. Greenwood 1902-03
• Harold Hartwell Jr. 1937-38-39-40-41-42-43 Councilor at large
• Steven C. Panagiotakos Lowell School Committee 1992-1993
• George A. Ramirez Lowell City Council 2006-2007
• Thomas Markham councilor at large 1934-35
• John J. Donovan, Mayor
• George Callahan, Councilor 1939 Ward 10
• Victor Forsley City Council 1974-75
• Edward F. Ryan 1949-1951
• Kathleen M. Kelley
• Fred H. Rourke 1894
• John Oliver 1895
• Maurice F. Flynn 1906
• Tyler A. Stevens 1903
• Thomas G. Little 1902 1905
• Frank Lundberg 1900
• Frank Hubin 1925-26-29-30-31
• Tarsy Poulios 1988-1989 1990-1991 1992-1993 (mayor) 1994-1996
• Henry Beaudry June 8, 1944
• Regina M. Faticanti
• John Mahoney 1970 1971
• W. Pat 1956 1957
• Francis McMahon 1934-39-41-42-52-53-54-55
• E.M. Borden
• Walter E. Clement Plan E Councilor 1944-45
• Councilor Ed Ryan 1949-1953
• Mayor Rita Mercier Jan 7 2002
• Joe Mendonca
• Peter Richards Councilor 1996-1999
• William Barrett 1938-1939
• Raymond J. Gilbride Councilor 1966-1969
• Bernie Lemoine 1992-1996
• George O’Hare 1974-75-78-81
• Robert J. Wolfgang 1978-79
• Raymond F. Rourke city council 1978-1979 1980-1981 1983-1984
• Janice Kierce 2001
• Jim McMahon 63-64-65-66
• Leo J. Farley 1970-1977
• W. Peters 568 Pine Street 1979
• George Grove 1898
• Paul McDermott 1887
• J.J. Sweeney 1939-40-41-42-43-44-45-46-47 mayor 48-49
• F.G. Baldwin, Ward 6,  March 4, 1903
• Connie Martin
• D.C. Milne 1917
• Jim Milinazzo
• Dan Tenczar 200
• Brian J. Martin 1981
• Kimberly Scott 2012
• George Anthes 1981
• Grady Mulligan 94-95
• Dave Laferriere 2001
• R.S. Fulton Ward 1 year 1910-11
• Curtis J. LeMay L.C.C. 1988-89, Vice mayor 1990-91, LCC 1992-93
• Edmund F. Shea 1905
• James Kennedy served in the Common Council 1897 and 1898
• Michael J. Markham served in the Common Council 1898 and 1899 and 1900 from Ward 4
• Vice Chair Jim Leary S.C.
• Ed Early 61-69
• John McQuaid 2000 School Committee
• George A. Ayotte 1948-49 mayor 1950-51 councilor
• Harry Whittet served on the Council year of 1909-10-11 Ward 9
• Lowell City Council George B. Murphy 1954
• Jeremiah Connors Ward 5 1906
• Armand Mercier
• William G. Brown Ward Nine 1902-03
• Frank McLaughlin Ward Five 1903-04
• Joseph R. Legare 1901-1902
• John Leahy
• Joseph Mullen 1906
• Dennis J. Cooney 1903
• George B. McFadden 1908
• John J. Coughlin 1911
• S.M. Lyons June 1923
• Bill Martin
• George B. Kouloheras 1962
• Laurie Machado 1994-1995
• Ray Riddick 1990-1991
• Larry Martin 1992-1996
• Ken Powers 1993
• Armand W. LeMay 1976-77 1977-83
• Hon. Henry Beaudry School Committee 1944-45-48-49 Mayor 1952-1953 Councilor 1952-53-54-55
• John J. Bennett 1930-31
• Kathryn Philbin Stoklosa
• Councilor Roger S. Hoar 1958
• C. Fred Hard 1903 Ward 6
• Charles A. Spenos 1908 Ward 8
• Rodney Elliott
• Thomas J. O’Donnell
• Otis W. Butler 1909-1910 Ward 1
• “Dick Howe best friend Dan Leahy 1998”
• Dick O’Malley
• Daniel F. Moriarty councilor Ward 5 1922-23-24
• Mike Lenzi
• Bud Caulfield
• Marty Lorrey
• John J. Walsh 1990
• Bart J. Callery Jr. councilor 1940
• Sean Sullivan 88-89
• Philip L. Shea 1970
• Woodbury F. Howard 1944-45-46-47-48-49
• Councilor Samuel A. Sampson 1954-1958
• Albert Wilson 1917
• Alan Kazanjian 2008-2009
• Edward T. Bailey Ward 4 1925 1931
• Gerald J. Durkin Jr. Lowell School Committee 78-87
• Ellen A. Sampson
• Frederick Pyne 1917
• Patricia A. Molloy LSC 1976-1977
• Charles T. Marsh 1905
• John F. McNamara 1906
• Michael H. Hoar occupied this seat in 1907
• John E. Kearns 1909 Ward two
• Franky Descoteaux cc 09-11
• Robert Gignac 2012-2013
• Thomas E. Garrity 1938-1939-1940-1941 Ward 4
• Councilor George P. Macheras 1958-1960
• John Mahoney 1908
• Henry Sullivan 1950-1951
• Kathleen Janas Hennigan Lowell school committee 88-90
• J.D. Caddell
• Arthur B. Chadwick 1922-23-24-25
• Samuel N. Pickering
• Lewis Lebron 1901
• William C. Geary 1944-1951
• Abel R. Campbell 1926-1927-1928-1929
• Gus Coutu City Council 81-82
• Tom Gill 1912 to 1916
• David J. Conway
• James J. Flanagan 1907-1908-1909-1910
• Thomas Crowley
• Bernard Lee occupied this seat in the year 1900