Coffey, Dennis 03.09 - University of Massachusetts Lowell Libraries

But I mean I was just a pee-on you know. So I rode with Tim Mellon in a helicopter. So
what, you know. She was right, you know, you and me we are not part of the power elite.
(A: Umhm) We can have a role, we can do some things, we can, we can maybe make a
contribution one way or another, (A: Umhm) but you know, the real power in this
country is that compressed 1% that has all the money. (A: Yah, yah) You know. And
it’s so true when you look at Washington today, you know.
A: Right. And so taking that to the local level, what was your sense of that power
structure back in the 70’s, late 70’s?
D: You know what I saw were the political elite power structure that you know, was very
narrow minded [loud ticking sound on tape], that saw you know, had a vision of the city
that was so totally different from the real needs of the city. That had, that plays no value
in the, in the history, the architecture, the art community and culture of the community.
You know, the only value they saw was get some federal bucks in here, do some urban
renewal, you know, and then you know, we’ll see what happens. But that changed and I
think it was Pat Mogan and the evolution of the State and National Parks, that got the
power elite to actually sit up and take notice. Just as I mentioned earlier about my Uncle
Reggie’s perspective on Jack Kerouac [loud ticking sound again], and how that changed
over time, I think the power structure eventually evolved. And I think that is where Paul
Tsongas played a very critical role, and that the Lowell Plan, (A: Yah) because he knew
about that power structure that I didn’t know about. (A: Yah) And he said, “How do I
get that power structure to play a role in this thing?” And the Lowell Plan was the
answer.
A: Okay.
D: And you know, he was able to get those people and say, “Look it, this is, this is what
we got to do. You got to play a part in this.” And ah (--)
A: How was he able to do that, if you have an understanding of that?
D: Well I think um, [forceful] personality in this case. I mean here he was a Democrat,
most of them were Republicans. But I think Brad Morse stayed in touch with Paul. I
don’t know this for a fact, but my sense is that Brad and Paul communicated, because
Brad still had some vested interest in the Park and so forth. And I think Brad helped Paul
to get to the right people, (A: Really) and shape it up, you know. Because looking back,
as I think about the things Paul was doing, and at the time I was saying, “Gee, what’s he
hanging out with them for?” But now it you know, you can see.
A: Did you have at that point have kind of a camp mentality like, “Old those are the old
people, and we don’t even need to worry about them,” kind of a thing.
D: Yah perhaps. Perhaps. Yah, yah, because we were young and you know, foolish.
[Both laugh] Yah, and yet Paul Tsongas was able to say, “Okay, we got to bring them
into the camp,” you know, and he did. And that’s the amazing thing about why this
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