Articles by Steven Gilchrist

Boston, MA.- Daniel Webster (1782-1852) was born in Salisbury, New Hampshire.   Webster attended Dartmouth College and later became a politician.   Webster served as a U.S. Representative (1813-1817) from New Hampshire and a U.S. Representative (1823-1827) from Massachusetts.   Webster served as a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1827-1841 and 1845-1850).   Webster and James G. Blaine are the only two people to have served as Secretary of State under three presidents.   Webster served as Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore (1841-1843 and 1850-1852). There is a statue of Daniel Webster on the front lawn outside of the Massachusetts State House. Daniel Webster statue - Massachusetts State House.

Boston, MA. - The Garden of Peace: A Memorial to Victims of Homicide exists to pay special tribute to people who have been murdered in Massachusetts.   The Garden was dedicated on September 24, 2004.   Now there are over 800 names of homicide victims from Massachusetts who have their names enshrined on river stones in the Garden of Peace.   Each person commemorated in the Memorial has an important story to tell.   The Garden is important because it is a place where families and friends of homicide victims can remember the lives and the memories of their loved ones. Catherine Melina created the original design for the Garden of Peace.   Judy Kensley Mckie, whose son Jesse was murdered, sculpted the Ibis Ascending statue.   The statue features three ibises which symbolize the transcendence of pain, anger, and grief. The Garden of Peace has three main elements. Tragic Density – the granite orb that symbolizes grief; The dry riverbed with h...

Vivien Theodore Thomas (1910 – 1985) was born in New Iberia, Louisiana.   Despite only having a high school education, Thomas achieved several accomplishments in the medical field.   Thomas was a surgical technician who developed medical procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome during the 1940s.   Thomas’ pioneering research was used to devise numerous surgical techniques for heart conditions. Thomas worked at Johns Hopkins University for 35 years as the assistant to surgeon Alfred Blalock.   In 1976, Thomas was awarded with an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins and named an instructor of surgery for the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.   What makes Thomas’ life story so unique is that he was the grandson of a slave and despite enduring poverty and racism he worked with Dr. Blalock to create groundbreaking research for complex surgical procedures.   For example, Thomas’ research on crush syndrome helped save thousands of soldiers lives ...

Jazz Appreciation Month was created in 2001 by musician and author John Edward Hasse, Ph.D.  Jazz Appreciation Month is an annual celebration held in April in the United States.  The goal of Jazz Appreciation Month is to recognize jazz music and musicians and the role that jazz plays within American culture.

Donald Baxter MacMillan (1874 – 1970) was born in Provincetown, Massachusetts.   In 1898, MacMillan graduated from Bowdoin College.   During World War I and World War II he served in the United States Navy.   MacMillan is best known for his numerous expeditions to the North Pole.   He made over 30 expeditions to the Arctic during his 46-year career as an explorer, lecturer, researcher, and sailor. For more information about Donald B. MacMillan visit the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum & Arctic Studies Center at Bowdoin College: https://www.bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum/biographies/macmillan.shtml

Boston, MA. - Frederic Thomas Greenhalge (1842 – 1896) was born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, England on July 19, 1842.   When, Greenhalge was a teenager, his family immigrated to Lowell, Massachusetts.   In 1859, Greenhalge enrolled in Harvard College.   Later, Greenhalge would serve as mayor of Lowell from 1880 – 1881.   He also served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1885 and from 1889 – 1891 Greenhalge served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts’ 8 th district. Greenhalge also served as the 38 th Governor of Massachusetts from January 4, 1894 – March 5, 1896.   When he was elected as governor, he was the first foreign-born governor of the state of Massachusetts. There is a statue dedicated to Greenhalge on the second floor of the Massachusetts State House in Boston. Frederic T. Greenhalge - Massachusetts State House

Boston, MA. - William Eustis Russell (January 6, 1857 – July 16, 1896) was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.   He served as the Mayor of Cambridge and also the Governor of Massachusetts.   In 1877, Russell graduated from Harvard College.   In 1879, Russell became the first student to graduate summa cum laude from Boston University School of Law.   He gained admittance to the Massachusetts Bar Association in 1880. From 1885 – 1888, Russell served as the Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts.   From 1891 – 1894, Russell served as the 37 th Governor of Massachusetts.   During his tenure as Governor, Russell signed legislation creating the Metropolitan District Commission and the Trustees of Reservations – state and private parks agencies, respectively. There is a statue that pays tribute to Russell located in the Massachusetts State House. William E. Russell - MA Governor (1891 - 1894).