Lois G. Pines Papers, 1973-2002: Guide
Main Digital Collection
Digital Collection
Author(s)
Pines, Lois G., 1940-
Publisher
State Library of Massachusetts, Special Collections Department
Description
This collection documents Pines' years in the Massachusetts Senate (1987-1998) as well as her tenure in the House (1973-1978). The collection includes legislation, testimonies from hearings, speeches and floor remarks, correspondence, memoranda, reports, notes, and newspaper clippings. Also included are hand-written notes and annotations, drafts of floor remarks, and memoranda.
Content
Lois G. Pines was born in Malden, Massachusetts, on August 16, 1940. She received her JD in 1963 from the University of Cincinnati School of Law. A Democrat, Pines began her political career in 1971 as an Alderman-at-Large for the city of Newton. In 1973, she was elected State Representative from Newton (19th Middlesex District) and served on the House's Taxation Committee. During her five-year tenure in the House, Pines was a lead sponsor of women's rights and environmental legislation. In 1975, she created and chaired the first Asbestos Commission in the U.S. and co-founded the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators. She was also author of the Massachusetts Bottle Bill, passed in 1982. From 1979 to 1981, Pines served as New England Regional Director of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under President Jimmy Carter. In 1984, Pines became Executive Director of the International Coordinating Council (ICC), a public-private partnership charged with strengthening Massachusetts' global economic status through overseas investment. Pines was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1987, serving six consecutive terms as Senator from Newton, Brookline, and eventually Wellesley (1st Middlesex and Norfolk District). During her tenure in the Senate, Pines served on various legislative committees including Banks and Banking, Election Laws, Energy, Health Care, Insurance, Judiciary, and Local Affairs. She was Chair of the following committees: Public Service (1987-1988); Commerce and Labor (1989-1993); Federal Financial Assistance (Chair, 1995; Vice-Chair, 1996-1998); and Natural Resources and Agriculture (1996-1998). Pines also participated on various Special Commissions: Early Childhood Programs (Chair, 1988-1989); Review of Massachusetts Anti-Takeover Laws (1988-1989?); Indoor Air Pollution (1989); Centennial of the Mass. Department of Environmental Management (1996); and the Special Commission on Free Care (1996-1998). Special Committees on which she served were: Ad Hoc Committee on Kuwaiti Reconstruction; Advisory Committee to the Osteoporosis Awareness Program (Mass. Department of Public Health); Electronic Media Access; Emergency 911; MassJobs Council School-to-Work Task Force and Older Workers Task Force; and the Maternal-Newborn Hospital Early Discharge Advisory Committee. Pines left the Senate in 1998 and ran an unsuccessful campaign for state Attorney General that year.
Archivist's Notes
The papers are arranged in seven series as follows: Series I. Media Files, Series II. Political Files, Series III. Constituent Files, Series IV. Administrative Files, Series V. International Relations Files, Series VI. Legislative Files, and Series VII. Subject Files. [28 boxes (28 linear feet)]
Note
Call number: Ms. Coll. 120. Researchers should note there is a later accession to this collection, Ms. Coll. 120.1, and there is considerable overlap of information pertaining to Pines’ work during the 1970s.
Researchers are recommended to consult both Ms. Coll. 120 and 120.1 guides.
Digital Collection
Creator / Organization
State Library of Massachusetts. Special Collections Department.
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ocm47261648-Ms. Coll. 120_Finding Aid.pdf
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905.91 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
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