Arthur E. Chase
A Massachusetts Republican who turned a passion for science education into a lasting public legacy, creating a pioneering high school for math and science.
1930–2015 (age 85)·American businessman and politician·Birthday: February 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Arthur E. Chase built a life at the intersection of business, politics, and civic vision in his native Massachusetts. After a career in the private sector, he entered the state senate in 1991, representing Worcester. His tenure, though brief, was marked by a specific and enduring focus: championing advanced STEM education for the state's brightest young minds. In 1991, he designed the concept for the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science, a public high school located at Worcester Polytechnic Institute where students take college-level courses. He then successfully sponsored the legislation to fund and establish it the following year, ensuring its creation. His 1994 run for Secretary of the Commonwealth ended in defeat, but the academy he shepherded into existence continues to operate, shaping generations of scientists and engineers. Chase's story is that of a practical legislator who identified a concrete need and navigated the political process to build an institution that outlasted his own time in office.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Arthur was born in 1930, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1930
#1 Movie
All Quiet on the Western Front
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1930Born
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1935Started school
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1943Became a teenager
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Could drive
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1948Could vote
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Turned 21
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1960Turned 30
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 40
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 50
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 60
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 70
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 80
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2015Died at 85
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Designed and sponsored the 1992 legislation that created the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science, a public STEM high school.
- Co-founded the Central Massachusetts Legislative Caucus to advocate for regional interests in the state senate.
- Served as the Republican nominee for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth in the 1994 election.
Did You Know?
The Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science he created is often referred to as 'Mass Academy' and is consistently ranked among the top high schools in the United States.
He was a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the same university that now hosts the academy he founded.
Before politics, he served as the president of a manufacturing company called Chase Industries.
“A strong community is built on good jobs and sound infrastructure, not just promises.”
