Francis W. Perry

Perry held numerous public offices in Duxbury, Massachusetts, including town moderator, selectman, assessor, chairman of the board of health, and chairman of the finance committee.^[5] He decided to run for the state legislature after a local newspaper erroneously named him a candidate for the office. He represented the 2nd Plymouth district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and 1959–1960 and 1961–1962 Massachusetts legislatures. He served as chairman of the Republican Party's job opportunity committee. In 1960 and 1961, he exposed sweetheart deal in public parking lot leases made by the division of waterways and divisions of public works.^[5]

Perry was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1962. He was unopposed for the Republican nomination, but lost to Democrat Francis Bellotti 51% to 48%.^[6] He was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 1964 Massachusetts gubernatorial election. He lost the convention vote to John A. Volpe, but announced he would challenge Volpe in the primaries. On July 8, 1964, he withdrew from the race to allow Volpe to concentrate his efforts on the November election.^[7]

Perry had three daughters with his wife, the former Rachel Holmes.^[2] He was a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Old Colony Club, and Harvard Club of Boston.^[1] Perry died on October 18, 1985, at his home in Duxbury after a long illness.^[5]