Chances are you've driven east on Union Street and have noticed a road sign at JFK Boulevard (Route 18) that says "Mayor John A. Markey Plaza," and have wondered who the heck was John A. Markey and why is there a plaza named in his honor?

If you haven't already guessed, Markey was the Mayor of New Bedford.

He held that position from 1972 to 1982, leaving a few months shy of the end of his final term after being appointed a District Court judgeship by then-Governor Ed King.

Markey retired from the court in 1999.

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I was 14 years old when Jack Markey became mayor of New Bedford. When Markey stepped down in 1982, I was a cub news reporter for a local radio station and had spent a couple of years covering his administration.

The Jack Markey In New Bedford's Jack A. Markey Plaza
Courtesy Spinner Publications
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There are several things I remember about Mayor Markey. First, he took his pants off for a photo that went nationwide to protest the city council's vote to raise taxes.

Second, he was the mayor when the New Bedford Teacher's Association went on strike in 1975, messing up the start of my senior year of high school.

READ MORE: New Bedford Teachers Jailed During 1975 Strike

The strike was illegal. Several teachers were held at the Ash Street Jail until the strike ended.

The Jack Markey In New Bedford's Jack A. Markey Plaza
Barry Richard/Townsquare Media
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Third, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared New Bedford Harbor its top priority Superfund hazardous waste site. Markey told me the EPA didn't know if the harbor would explode if they disturbed the PCB sediments at the bottom.

Fourth, Markey worked to promote tourism and adopted a local slogan, "Feeling Better in New Bedford," to coincide with the state's "Feel Better in Massachusetts" tourism campaign.

Markey's greatest gift to New Bedford was his vision for making the city's past a part of its future as a leader in helping to establish the New Bedford Historic District.

Markey passed away in January of 2024.

READ MORE: Former New Bedford Mayor John "Jack" Markey Passes Away

Remembering Former New Bedford Mayor John 'Jack' Markey

Former New Bedford mayor and longtime district court judge John A. "Jack" Markey passed away on January 14, 2024 at the age of 89.

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg

New Bedford Mayors

New Bedford has had 49 different mayors, along with two acting mayors and one interim mayor.

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg

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