| 1/2/2007 |
House celebrates 100th birthday of long-serving doorman, political activist
Frank DiPaolo Jr.’s political work spans nine decades
STATE HOUSE – The House of Representatives held a celebration Wednesday to honor the 100th birthday of House doorman Frank DiPaolo Jr.
DiPaolo, who turned 100 on Dec. 24, has been a doorman in the General Assembly for 30 years. He still drives himself to work, isn’t on any medication, and is active in both the strategy and grassroots levels of many Rhode Island political and philanthropic campaigns.
The celebration began during the House session, during which a citation sponsored by House Speaker William J. Murphy and Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox to honor DiPaolo will be read. After session, there was a birthday cake for DiPaolo in the House lounge.
“Frank is absolutely amazing. Just being 100 years old and still sharp as a tack is incredible in itself, but he’s still working on a daily basis and driving himself here, and he still has loads of energy that he devotes to others’ campaigns. We’re very lucky to have him as a part of the House of Representatives, and we wish him many more happy years,” said Speaker Murphy.
Opening doors has long been a part of DiPaolo’s life, and not solely in the House chamber. Congressman Patrick Kennedy credits him with helping him get his political start in Rhode Island, when he was an undergraduate at Providence College. DiPaolo owned the Castle Spa restaurant in Providence’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood, where Kennedy ate breakfast each day. DiPaolo took Kennedy under his wing, introduced him to the neighborhood and its political leaders, and threw him his first fund-raiser for his campaign for a seat in Rhode Island’s House of Representatives. DiPaolo became close friends with the young Kennedy, who even lived with him and his wife before he bought his own house.
Calvin Coolidge was in the White House when DiPaolo began volunteering for campaigns. He caught the political bug as a 22-year-old working on Al Smith’s unsuccessful presidential campaign against Herbert Hoover, and has since worked on 15 Democratic campaigns for governor in Rhode Island and countless other races. Age has not slowed him down; he worked on Kennedy’s campaign this election season.
When he first started as a doorman in the General Assembly, he worked in the Senate. But when Patrick Kennedy was elected to the Rhode Island House in 1988, DiPaolo moved to the House chamber and has worked there ever since.
He and his wife, the late Eugenia, were the parents of four children, Evelyn Doherty of Rumford, Thomas DiPaolo of North Providence, Claire Berkmaier of North Scituate and the late Richard DiPaolo; 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
“We’d like to congratulate Frank on reaching this milestone. He’s an inspiration, someone who proves that you’re really as young as you allow yourself to feel. We’re very proud to have him as a part of the House,” said Majority Leader Fox.
For more information, contact:
Larry Berman, Communications Director for the Office of Speaker William J. Murphy
State House Room 331A
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2466 |
LEGISLATIVE INFO
