Remembering "Larger-than-Life" Political Fixture Gerard Doherty JD '60

The passing of alumnus and former Trustee Gerard “Gerry” Doherty in many ways marks the “end of an era” of Massachusetts politics. 

Doherty, who graduated from Suffolk Law School in 1960 while serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, was deeply entwined in the civic life of the commonwealth for decades and worked on the historic presidential campaigns of all three Kennedy brothers. His 2017 memoir, They Were My Friends  – Jack, Bob and Ted: My Life In and Out of Politics, details those relationships.

“Gerry Doherty was someone larger than life who actually made those around him better,” says History Professor Bob Allison. “Everyone needs an adviser like him, someone you can trust and respect.” 

Doherty brought political savvy and legislative knowledge to his roles, but Allison says what made him truly indispensable in Massachusetts politics were his character, integrity, and ability to bring people together.

“You can find people who can crunch numbers and can look at polling data, but understanding how to connect with people is the most important thing. It's a character trait that he had and could use to great effect, and that's one of the reasons the Kennedys and others relied on him — and one of the reasons the Democratic Party in Massachusetts, which he chaired, was successful in the 1960s,” says Allison.

Doherty served on the Suffolk University Board of Trustees from 1996-2014. He received the Law School Alumni Association's Alumni Service Award in 2005. His career also included a successful real estate law and development practice as well as work on political campaigns for President Jimmy Carter and others. 

Read Gerard Doherty’s full obituary in The Boston Globe.