Clarence Wilkinson
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image =
|imagesize =
| name = Clarence Wilkinson
|birth_date= {{birth date|1910|9|26|mf=y}}
|birth_place= Gloucester, Massachusetts
|death_date= {{death date and age|1996|7|12|1910|9|26}}
|death_place= Bremen, Maine
|restingplace =
| nationality =
| website =
| occupation = Contractor
City Administrator
Politician
| residence =
| party = Republican
| spouse =
| alma_mater =
| title1 = Boothbay Harbor, Maine Town Manager
| term_start1 = 1970
| term_end1 = 1975
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| title2 = Saugus, Massachusetts Town Manager
| term_start2 = 1968
| term_end2 = 1970
| predecessor2 = Paul H. Boucher
| successor2 = Francis Moorehouse
| title3 = Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 15th Essex District
| term_start3 = 1957
| term_end3 = 1961
| predecessor3 = Herbert Tuckerman
| successor3 = George L. Allen
| title4 = Mayor of Beverly, Massachusetts
| term_start4 = 1951
| term_end4 = 1957
| predecessor4 = Robert J. Rafferty
| successor4 = Thomas J. Wickers, Jr.
}}
Clarence Sayward Wilkinson (born September 26, 1910 – July 12, 1996) was an American politician who served as Mayor of Beverly, Massachusetts, from 1951 to 1957, State Representative from 1957 to 1961, Town Manager of Saugus from 1968 to 1970, and Town Manager of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, from 1970 to 1975.
Career
Wilkinson was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts.{{cite book |title=1957-1958 Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts | url=https://archive.org/stream/publicofficersof19571958bost#page/314/mode/2up }} He was elected Mayor of Beverly, Massachusetts in 1950 and re-elected in 1952, 1954, and 1956. During his tenure as Mayor, Beverly celebrated its 325th anniversary,{{cite news|title=Beverly Opens 325th Celebration With Dedication|newspaper=Boston Daily Globe|date=August 5, 1951}} hosted World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Rocky Marciano, hosted two Sports Car Club of America auto racing events,{{cite news|last=Molter|first=Harry|title=Sports Car Enthusiasts Await Beverly Races|newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|date=April 29, 1955}} and built two new schools.{{cite news|title=Beverly Tax Rate Up $6|newspaper=Boston Daily Globe|date=May 5, 1956}} Prior to becoming Mayor, Wilkinson spent four years as a member of the Beverly Board of Aldermen.
In 1953, Wilkinson was a candidate for State Representative, but lost in the Republican primary to Herbert Tuckerman.{{cite news|title=Tuckerman Wins G. O. P. Primary for Representative|newspaper=Boston Daily Globe|date=November 25, 1953}}
In 1955, Wilkinson received a type-written letter containing a threat to kill him if he did not pay four million dollars. An investigation by Beverly police revealed that the letter was written by a fourteen-year-old boy at a junior high school.{{cite news|title=Trace Threat Letter to Beverly Boy|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MdRKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lPMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2675,500117|access-date=July 17, 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=March 5, 1955}}
Wilkinson was elected State Representative in 1956. He served as State Representative and Mayor simultaneously during his final year as Mayor. He was reelected in 1958, but lost the 1960 Republican primary to George L. Allen.{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=William|title=Ward Seen Legislators' New Guide|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=September 15, 1960}}
In 1962, Wilkinson was named Associate State Commissioner of Public Works.{{cite news|title=Wilkinson Succeeds Dole As State Public Works Aide|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/1906356072.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107111701/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/1906356072.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2012|access-date=July 17, 2011|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=April 27, 1962}}
In 1965, he made a return to elected office in Beverly as a member of the Board of Aldermen.{{cite news|last=Burbank|first=Russell|title=Joslin, Grimes Finalists In Beverly Mayor Fight|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=October 14, 1965}} In 1966, the town offered 207 acres of land abutting Beverly Municipal Airport to Boeing in attempt to convince them to build a proposed multimillion-dollar plant in Beverly. Wilkinson served as the town's liaison officer in the ultimately unsuccessful project.{{cite news|title=Beverly Woos Boeing With 207-Acre Plant Site|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=May 15, 1966}} In 1967, Wilkinson ran again for Mayor, but finished third in the primary behind James A. Vitale and Herbert Grimes.{{cite news|last=Corneau|first=Robert|title=Beverly to elect mayor on Tuesday|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=November 1, 1967}}
On October 14, 1968, he was named Town Manager of Saugus, Massachusetts.{{cite news|title=Saugus|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=October 15, 1968}} He had previously been a finalist for the job in 1962, but the Board of Selectmen decided to give the job to John O. Stinson.{{cite news|title=Saugus Gets 12th Manager In 14 Years|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=February 20, 1962}} He resigned in 1970 to take the same position in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.{{cite news|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=March 25, 1970}}{{page needed|date=August 2024}} He remained as Boothbay Harbor's Town Manager until his retirement in 1975.
He died on July 12, 1996, in Bremen, Maine.{{cite news|title=Clarence Wilkinson, 85 Was legislator, Beverly mayor|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8383237.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106065811/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8383237.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 6, 2012|access-date=July 17, 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=July 14, 1996}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson, Clarence}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Category:People from Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Category:Mayors of Beverly, Massachusetts
Category:Town managers of Saugus, Massachusetts
Category:People from Bremen, Maine
Category:20th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court