John Francis Dolan

John F. Dolan (1922–2013) was a longtime member of the Massachusetts State Legislature and an advocate of conservation. During his tenure in office as a State Representative, Dolan helped create groundbreaking legislation for the conservation of natural resources in the State of Massachusetts.

Early life and military service Dolan was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, on September 7, 1922, and was the oldest child of Charles L. Dolan and Rose Kilborn. Often called "Jack" from the time of childhood, Dolan spent his early years on Grape Island (Essex County, Massachusetts) where his mother's family had resided for many years. Dolan's uncle was Lewis Kilborn, who would later become the island's last living residents. During the early years of the 20th Century, Grape Island was home to numerous families, most of whom made their living digging clams or fishing in the Atlantic or the nearby rivers. As Dolan would later remember, "My first chore was to keep the wood box behind the stove full. When the big wood box was half full, sometimes I would crawl in and take a nap." During the Second World War Dolan would serve on board the transport vessel and later as a gun crew captain on the . In July 1945, Dolan and his shipmates on board the Chicago participated in the first naval bombardment of Japan against the Kamaishi Industrial District. After the war, Dolan returned to Ipswich, where he married Lucy Eustace and soon entered local politics.

Political career While still a member of the US Naval Reserve, Dolan served in a local veteran's affairs office and was later elected to the office of Town Clerk in Ipswich. When the Korean War began in the summer of 1950, Dolan was recalled to active duty with the US Navy and was stationed in Japan. However, the death of his younger brother James F. Dolan during the Battle of Taejon led to Dolan's eventual discharge from active duty and he soon returned to Ipswich to continue raising his family and pursuing a career in state politics. Dolan would go on to serve his district until the early 1970s and held his seat in the Massachusetts Legislature for nine consecutive terms. His tenure in office eventually came to an end after casting the deciding vote on a measure that would have reduced the size of the House assembly. The unpopular move lead to his defeat in the following year's primary.