Conclusion
After 36 years in Congress, Boland announced his retirement in 1988. His career was guided by a strong belief in equal opportunity, compassion, and that public officers were there to serve the people. There were awards, tributes, dedications, and commemorative gifts to honor his service. Eddie managed to make even his retirement an opportunity to help others, using the proceeds from his retirement dinner to bankroll a scholarship fund which still exists today. Eddie died in 2001, but his legacy lives on particularly in Springfield. You might find yourself driving down Boland Way or walk past the life-sized statue of him on the corner of Main and Harrison streets. The statue was commissioned in his honor and displays Eddie’s distinctive crossed arm stance, an image that was familiar to presidents, friends, colleagues, constituents, and even to his children.
Edward P. Boland Memorial statue, Springfield, MA, 2003.
Box 132, Folder 49, Edward P. Boland congressional papers, CA1998-003
Boland in his distinctive pose, circa 1980s.
Box 132, Folder 41, Edward P. Boland congressional papers, CA1998-003
