One-time high school teacher and former Massachusetts State Senator John M. (Jack) Quinlan. Photo credit: Public Domain.

American history abounds with stories of talented classroom teachers who also made a mark in politics. This is true of John M. Quinlan, a teacher who was elected as a member of the Massachusetts State Senate.

John was born on July 11, 1935, in Natick, Massachusestts. All his life he preferred to be called “Jack.” When John was a child, he attended public school in Dover, Massachusetts, and later he transferred to Sacred Heart High School, a private high school located in Kingston, Massachusetts.

As a young man, John enrolled at Harvard University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in 1957. Once he earned his degree, John accepted a position as a teacher at Franklin High School, a public high school located in Franklin, Massachusetts. He taught there for four years.

Once he left the classroom, John inaugurated his career in politics. His first position was as an assistant to United States Senator Leverett Saltonstall, a fellow Republican from Massachusetts. But in 1964, John was elected on his own merit on the Republican ticket to the Massachusetts State Senate. He served there until 1974. While serving in the Senate, John dedicated his effort primarily to campaign finance reform. In 1968, John accepted a position as the state chairman for United Citizens for Nixon-Agnew. That year, he also worked toward the election of the governor and the lieutenant government.

Once his term in the State Senate was complete, John served as an aide to Margaret Heckler, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services. He also worked in 1990 as the campaign director for Jim Rappapport, another Massachusetts Republican, in his campaign for the US Senate.

This Chalkboard Champion is still living in Massachusetts. He is 85 years old.