Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick Still Has A Dream

Deval Laurdine Patrick served as governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. Patrick was the Bay State's 71st governor and the first African-American to hold that office. He was also the first Democrat governor of Massachusetts since Michael Dukakis left office in 1991.

Patrick was born July 31, 1956 in Chicago, Illinois. After completing his formal education, which included Harvard College, Milton Academy and Harvard Law School, Patrick married attorney Diane Bemus in 1984. The couple had two daughters, Sarah and Katherine.

Patrick served as United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division from 1994 to 1998, having been nominated by President Bill Clinton.

Patrick's beginnings were humble. He was raised by his mother, Emily Rae (Wintersmith) Patrick, at the Robert Taylor Homes' housing project on the south side of Chicago. His father, Pat Patrick, a jazz musician, abandoned the family and moved to New York to pursue a music career.

Patrick practiced law in Boston with Day, Berry & Howard and served as General Counsel for several major corporations, including Texaco, Chevron and the Coca-Cola Company.

He ran briefly for the 2020 Democrat presidential nomination.

According to a July 2023 article from Berkshire Magazine's Anastasia Stanmeyer, Patrick remains active. Stanmeyer says Patrick serves as co-director of the Center for Public Leadership, and is a professor of practice at Harvard Kennedy School and an advisor to Bain Capital.

One might think that someone as accomplished as Patrick would be satisfied to retire to his Richmond, Massachusetts, retreat with his wife Diane as he approaches his 70th birthday, but that is not the case.

Patrick told Stanmeyer, "I really wanted to be an architect. I still want to be an architect. I will be an architect one day, I'm telling you."

Somehow, I believe it will happen.