William M. Bulger - President of The University of Massachusetts System

President of The University of Massachusetts System

Bulger was appointed President of the University of Massachusetts by the Board of Trustees on November 28, 1995. His candidacy for the UMass position was supported by Republican Governor William Weld.

On August 6, 2003, Bulger announced that he would resign as President of the system effective September 1, 2003. His resignation came due to pressure from Governor Mitt Romney after Bulger had refused to cooperate with authorities who were searching for Bulger's brother, the notorious mobster James "Whitey" Bulger. Jack Wilson, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, who had come to UMass from the post of J. Erik Jonsson Distinguished Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to create UMassOnline, was tapped to be the interim President. Wilson was appointed as the President in March 2004 after the conclusion of a national search.

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