On May 3rd at 5:30 pm the Portland Democratic City Committee will hold it's tenth Harry S. Truman Awards Dinner at the Riverton Elementary School.
This year the PDCC is honoring two former Democratic Legislators: Gerard P. Conley Sr. and Gerald Talbot.
The pinnacle of Gerard P. Conley's legislative career came in 1983 when he was sworn in as President of the Maine State Senate, becoming the first Democrat to occupy that post since 1965-67 session, and becoming Senate President for the first time since the Democrats controlled the legislature and had a Democratic Governor since the early part of the century.
Gerry grew up on Atlantic Street at the top of Munjoy Hill. When he was 7 years old a fire burned his family out of the home and they moved to Payson Street. "Anyone with any prominence lived on Payson Street" He says, "Linda Abramson lived there and Eddie Bernstien, Don McWilliams (who recently passed away) All of these people including Gerry, would eventually serve as Portland City Councilors.
His interest in politics began when he would sit on his fathers lap and listen to Roosevelt's fireside chats on the radio.
He attended Portland Junior College (now USM) on the G.I. bill and first ran for public office in 1960 when he ran for Sheriff of Cumberland County. That was also the year that John F. Kennedy visited Portland in his campaign. Kennedy was holding a press conference at WGAN Channel 13 then located at Congress Square. "You couldn't get within five miles of GAN cause of the crowds", he recalls. He was assigned to go to the airport and pick up camera equipment for the press conference. Immediately after the press conference everyone got up and left to go to the room with coffee and sandwiches. "I stayed back" he said, " There was John Kennedy standing there and I went over and he looked at me and I said,' I want you to know that I would gladly take defeat to see you elected President of the United States, and he put his arm around me and said, 'God bless You."
"I remember in that election taking people to vote in wheel chairs and they didn't' have handicapped ramps."
He lost that election by 13,000 votes. In 1962 he ran for Sheriff again and lost by 1300 votes.
When the Supreme Court handed down the decision on one man, one vote, Portland was given 11 House seats on an at large basis. Everyone ran at large and the 11 people receiving the most votes were elected to the State House. Gerry was elected as a State Representative in the 1964 election. Also elected with him that year to the House was Joe Brennan.
In 1969 he was elected to the Portland City Council. Since retiring form the State Senate in 1985 he has served as Chairman of the Maine Unemployment Insurance Commission and as Registrar of Probate for Cumberland County.
He's never lost his sense of humor. "Put this down in the article", he said to me. " I've 13 kids 10 boys and 3 girls by my wife Ann, and I spell my name GERARD P. CONLEY!"