Quick Facts
Biography
Robert Henry Quinn was a Massachusetts attorney and politician.
Early life
Quinn was born January 30, 1928 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of seven children. When Quinn was six his father died.
Quinn received a scholarship to Boston College High School and attended Boston College on a football scholarship. While at BC, he was stricken with tuberculosis and it was believed that he would die. Quinn recovered after spending three years in the hospital. He went on to finish college and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1955.
Political career
Quinn was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1957 to 1969 and the speaker of that body from 1967 to 1969. During his tenure in the house he played a role in the founding of the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Quinn was elected Massachusetts Attorney General by the Massachusetts Legislature sitting in Joint Convention following Elliot Richardson's selection as Under Secretary of State. He was elected Attorney General by the voters in 1970. In 1970, Quinn championed legislation that offered financial incentives to law enforcement officers who pursued higher education, which became known as the “Quinn Bill”.
Quinn sought the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1974, but was defeated by Michael Dukakis.
Later life and death
Following his defeat, co-founded the Quinn and Morris law firm and was a prominent lobbyist. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees University of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.
Quinn died in Falmouth, Massachusetts on January 12, 2014 at the age of 85.