LYNN — City officials, state delegation members, and community leaders packed City Council Chambers Tuesday night as former mayor Thomas McGee unveiled his portrait, which will soon hang on the same walls as his father’s 1956 city council photo.
McGee’s photo, obscured by a maroon cloth, sat perched on a stand in front of the room. As officials took their seats, Mayor Jared Nicholson kicked off the ceremony with opening remarks, in which he praised McGee as a mentor and a leader.
“I feel very fortunate because he continues to be such a resource for me personally, and a mentor,” Nicholson said. “He also acts as a role model for all that he’s accomplished himself. He’s someone I looked up to who has really thrived in fulfilling his obligations to his community, and has been there for his family in such a meaningful way, something that I aspire to as well.”
Nicholson also referenced and applauded the ways in which McGee worked to lead the city through the early days of the pandemic. He added that the McGee administration bequeathed a stable economy to the Nicholson administration, and that McGee’s humility and work ethic left a positive, lasting impact on the city.
“Those qualities created such a successful tenure as the mayor of Lynn in what he had done in his time in office to turn the city around financially put us on such solid footing, to really lay the groundwork for ongoing investments in our city’s infrastructure that are paying dividends now and will continue to pay dividends for that for the years and generations to come,” Nicholson said.
When Nicholson called Third Essex District Sen. Brendan Crighton to the mic, the senator mirrored Nicholson’s remarks, adding that McGee, who gave Crighton his first job at the State House 17 years ago, served as his friend and mentor.
“17 years ago, when I first walked into the State House, Tom, for whatever reason, was able to offer me a job after really poor interview performance and not really knowing much about state government. But from that day forward, you’ve been a tremendous friend and mentor, just a wonderful public servant,” Crighton said.
McGee’s former Chief of Staff Meaghen Hamill was last to speak before the portrait unveiling. She said that although she could recite a full “laundry list” of McGees accomplishments and qualities, she preferred to keep her remarks brief so that she could “stay composed.”
Hamill began by thanking McGee’s family for sacrificing their time with him, a sacrifice which, she said, paid dividends for the community, and for the world.
“I hope you know how much good he has done. This world is a better place because of him, and because of your sacrifice. It’s incredibly difficult to find the words to properly honor your mentor,” Hamill said. “The McGee team was an ever-growing family. It was extremely challenging for years, but there’s no denying that the person most suited to lead was doing just that. We often refer to the job as flying a plane while it was being built around us, especially during the height of COVID. Well, Tom, I think everybody in this room would agree, you landed the plane as smoothly as possible, given the weather conditions. Thank you for everything.”
The crowd roared in applause when McGee, alongside his daughter, Katherine, his wife, Maria, and his son, Tom, unveiled the portrait. Someone in the crowd yelled “speech!” and McGee stepped to the podium to close out the ceremony with a speech about the importance of community and unity.
“I was born in Lynn hospital not too far from here […] It’s quite an honor to have my picture hanging in here,” McGee said. “ President Kennedy liked to say, ‘one person can make a difference, and every person should try.” That’s how I tried to live my life every day. I think that’s what we do when we’re talking about public service. It’s challenging at times; we’re facing, in many ways, a divided nation. But I think the underlying thing that brings us together as Americans, as citizens, as members of the community in the city of Lynn is that we share so much in common, and by working together and trying to make a difference, we can make our community a better place.”
