Swift, Jane, 1965-

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Jane Maria Swift (born February 24, 1965) is an American politician who served as the 69th lieutenant governor of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2003 and, concurrently, as acting governor from April 2001 to January 2003. She is the only woman to perform the duties of governor of Massachusetts. At the time she became acting governor, Swift was 36 years old, making her the youngest female governor or acting governor in U.S. history.

Born in North Adams, Massachusetts. Swift attended North Adams public schools, and in 1987 graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, with a degree in American studies. In 1990, at the age of 25, Swift was the youngest woman ever elected to the Massachusetts Senate. She served the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden Massachusetts Senate district from 1991 to 1997 and was active in education reform. After losing a race for the U. S. House of Representatives in 1996, Swift went on to serve as an executive with the Massachusetts Port Authority, and was later appointed by Governor Weld as Massachusetts' consumer affairs secretary in 1997, serving in that post until elected lieutenant governor in 1998.

Swift became governor of Massachusetts in April 2001 when Governor Paul Cellucci was appointed United States Ambassador to Canada by President George W. Bush. In October 2001, Swift announced that she would run for a full term as governor in the 2002 election. Despite a widely praised response to the September 11 attacks, however, Swift's popularity had been damaged by political missteps and personal controversies and many Republicans viewed her as unable to win an election against a Democrat. After polling saw her losing a Republican primary to businessman Mitt Romney, Swift bowed out of running for a term in her own right.

After her public sector work, Swift continued to be an active voice for education, particularly education technology in the private sector. She frequently speaks on the role of women in public service and education improvement. She is also a contributor to Working Mother magazine, and was a lecturer at Williams College. She received six honorary doctorates and has served as a fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and as Rappaport Distinguished Visiting Professor at Boston College Law School.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's Press Office. Press releases, 1962-2006. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's External Relations Office. Governor's correspondence file, 1911-2006 (bulk 1963-2006). Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
referencedIn Massachusetts. Governor's Press Office. Photographs, 1909-2003. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
referencedIn Meier mss., 1927-2010 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's Legal Office. Legal research/issues files, 1983-2006. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
referencedIn Pizzi, Filippa T., 1919-. Papers, 1958-2004. State Library of Massachusetts
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's Scheduling Office. Daily schedules, 1982-2006. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor. Fixed asset recording records, 1991-2004. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's External Relations Office. Proclamation files, 1998-2006. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's Personnel Office. Appointment files, 1800-2007. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Jane Swift Papers MS 823., 1988-2008 Special Collections and University Archives, UMass Amherst Libraries
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's Legislative Office. Legislative review files, 1925-2006. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's Chief of Staff. Subject files, 1963-2003. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Lieutenant Governor. Scheduling files, 1983-2006. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Lieutenant Governor. Speech and testimony files, 1967-1990. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's Press Office. Speeches and testimonies, 1879-2006 (bulk 1963-2006). Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Governor's External Relations Office. Citation files, 1998-2002. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
creatorOf Massachusetts. Lieutenant Governor. Correspondence files, 1983-2006. Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
employeeOf Boston College. Law School corporateBody
employeeOf John F. Kennedy School of Government. corporateBody
memberOf Massachusetts. General Court. Senate corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's Chief of Staff. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's External Relations Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's External Relations Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's External Relations Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's Legal Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's Legislative Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's Personnel Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's Press Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's Press Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's Press Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Governor's Scheduling Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Lieutenant Governor. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Lieutenant Governor. corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Lieutenant Governor. corporateBody
associatedWith Meier, Deborah person
associatedWith Pizzi, Filippa T., 1919- person
associatedWith Republican Party (Mass.) corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Trinity college Hartford, Conn. corporateBody
associatedWith Weld, William F. person
employeeOf Williams College corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
North Adams MA US
Hartford CT US
Subject
Women governors
Women politicians
Occupation
Chief executive officers
Governors
Lieutenant governors
State Senator
Activity

Person

Birth 1965-02-24

Female

Americans

English

Information

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