Clarence Sayward Wilkinson (born September 26, 1910, in

Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester () is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a ...

, died July 12, 1996, in Bremen, Maine) was an American politician who served as Mayor of

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

, from 1951 to 1957, State Representative from 1957 to 1961, Town Manager of Saugus from 1968 to 1970, and Town Manager of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, from 1970 to 1975.

Beverly

Wilkinson was elected Mayor of Beverly, Massachusetts in 1950 and re-elected in 1952, 1954, and 1956. During his tenure as Mayor, Beverly celebrated its 325th anniversary, hosted World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Rocky Marciano, hosted two

Sports Car Club of America The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional r ...

auto racing events, and built two new schools. In 1953, Wilkinson was a candidate for State Representative, but lost in the Republican primary to

Herbert Tuckerman Herbert Sears Tuckerman (May 2, 1921 – August 8, 2007) was an American politician who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate. Early life Tuckerman was born on May 2, 1921 in Boston. His father Bayard ...

. In 1955, Wilkinson received a type-written letter containing a threat to kill him if he did not pay four million dollars. An investigation by Beverly police revealed that the letter was written by a fourteen-year-old boy at a junior high school. Prior to becoming Mayor, Wilkinson spent four years as a member of the Beverly Board of Aldermen.

State government

Wilkinson was elected State Representative in 1956. He served as State Representative and Mayor simultaneously during his final year as Mayor. He was reelected in 1958, but lost the 1960 Republican primary to George L. Allen. In 1962, Wilkinson was named Associate State Commissioner of Public Works.

Return to Beverly government

In 1965, Wilkinson made a return to elected office in Beverly as a member of the Board of Aldermen. In 1966, the town offered 207 acres of land abutting

Beverly Municipal Airport Beverly Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located in Beverly, Danvers and Wenham, Massachusetts, in Essex County, three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of Beverly's central business district. The National Pla ...

to Boeing in attempt to convince them to build a proposed multimillion-dollar plant in Beverly. Wilkinson served as the town's liaison officer in the ultimately unsuccessful project. In 1967, Wilkinson ran again for Mayor, but finished third in the primary behind James A. Vitale and Herbert Grimes.

Saugus

On October 14, 1968, Wilkinson was named Town Manager of Saugus, Massachusetts. He had previously been a finalist for the job in 1962, but the Board of Selectmen decided to give the job to John O. Stinson.

Boothbay Harbor

Wilkinson resigned as Saugus Town Manager in 1970 to take the same position in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. He remained as Boothbay Harbor's Town Manager until his retirement in 1975.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson, Clarence 1910 births 1996 deaths Maine city managers Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives People from Boothbay Harbor, Maine Mayors of Beverly, Massachusetts Town Managers of Saugus, Massachusetts 20th-century American politicians People from Bremen, Maine