William M. Bulger was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1960, inspired in large measure by the political career of James Michael Curley. Elected to the state senate in 1970, Bulger served as senate president for eighteen years, until his appointment by a Republican governor to lead the University of Massachusetts. Longtime host of the traditional St. Patrick''s Day Breakfast, Bulger is retired from public life. His first book, "While the Music Lasts," is a memoir of his life in politics. Bulger lives, as always, in South Boston.

Robert J. Allison chairs Suffolk University''s History Department, and also teaches at the Harvard Extension School. His works include: "Before 1776: Life in the American Colonies," The Teaching Company. Great Courses (2009), And free, on-line courses: The U.S. Constitution: A Biography (http://www.udemy.com/us-constitution/). History of Boston (live in October 2014): (http://www.historyofboston.org) He is president of the South Boston Historical Society, vice president of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts.