Bruce Bolling


Bruce Carlton Bolling was a politician and businessman in Boston, Massachusetts. He served as the first black president of the Boston City Council in the mid-1980s.

Early years

Bolling was educated at Boston English High School, Northeastern University, and
received a master's degree in education from Antioch University. He was from "the city's most politically successful black family. His father, Royal L. Bolling, was a state senator and his brother, Royal L. Bolling Jr., served as state representative."

Political career

Around 1980, Bolling worked "in the administration of Mayor Kevin White in a variety of capacities, including positions in the Office of Public Safety and as a manager of a Little City Hall." In November 1981, he was elected to the Boston City Council, in the final election when all seats were at-large. He was subsequently re-elected to four two-year terms as the representative for District 7. He was council president in 1986 and 1987 — "the first Black elected president of the Boston City Council." He lost his position on the council following the November 1991 election, when he unsuccessfully sought an at-large seat. He returned to the council in September 1992, following the death of at-large member Christopher A. Iannella, as Bolling had finished fifth in the election for four at-large seats. Bolling ran for Mayor of Boston in 1993, finishing fifth in the preliminary election.
, with several Boston City Council members

Later years and legacy

From 2000 until his death, Bolling was director of MassAlliance, a firm specializing in small business development. He died of prostate cancer on September 11, 2012. He was 67.
In 2015, the Ferdinand Building in then-Dudley Square was renamed the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in his honor. The dedication ceremony was attended by his brother, Royal L. Bolling, Jr., Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, and other Massachusetts politicians.