Belden Bly
Encyclopedia
Belden Gerald Bly Jr. was an American
teacher
and member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
for 16 terms from 1949 to 1980, representing Saugus, Massachusetts
.
Bly was born in Everett and grew up in Revere, Massachusetts
. He graduated from Dartmouth College
in 1938. He received a master's degree in education from Boston University
in 1941 and a law degree from Suffolk University
in 1955.
Bly was a Rockefeller Republican
; a social liberal
, but conservative on matters such as the economy
and national defense
. In 1974, he championed the creation of a non-smoking section of the House. Bly served on the Ways and Means Committee and the Committee on Aging.
Bly also was a biology and practical law teacher, as well as a coach
for the golf
, baseball
, basketball
, football
and track teams at Saugus High School
. Bly taught at the New England School of Law
until his retirement in 1979.
The Belden Bly Bridge
, the oldest cantilever bridge
in the nation, which carries Route 107
over the Saugus River
was renamed after him in 1985.
Bly kept a law office in Saugus and handled cases until his death in 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
for 16 terms from 1949 to 1980, representing Saugus, Massachusetts
Saugus, Massachusetts
Saugus is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 26,628 at the 2010 census.-History:Saugus was first settled in 1629. Saugus is an Indian name believed to mean "great" or "extended"...
.
Bly was born in Everett and grew up in Revere, Massachusetts
Revere, Massachusetts
Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...
. He graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1938. He received a master's degree in education from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in 1941 and a law degree from Suffolk University
Suffolk University
Suffolk University is a private, non-sectarian, university located in Boston, Massachusetts and with over 16,000 students it is the third largest university in Boston...
in 1955.
Bly was a Rockefeller Republican
Rockefeller Republican
Rockefeller Republican refers to a faction of the United States Republican Party who held moderate to liberal views similar to those of Nelson Rockefeller...
; a social liberal
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
, but conservative on matters such as the economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
and national defense
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
. In 1974, he championed the creation of a non-smoking section of the House. Bly served on the Ways and Means Committee and the Committee on Aging.
Bly also was a biology and practical law teacher, as well as a coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
for the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and track teams at Saugus High School
Saugus High School (Massachusetts)
Saugus High School is an American public secondary school located in Saugus, Massachusetts.-Facilities:The current Saugus High campus opened in September 1955. The single-story structure includes a cafeteria, auditorium, offices, classrooms, and a gymnasium....
. Bly taught at the New England School of Law
New England School of Law
New England School of Law is a private law school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1908 as a law school for women.-History:...
until his retirement in 1979.
The Belden Bly Bridge
Belden Bly Bridge
Belden G. Bly Bridge originally known as the Fox Hill Bridge was built in 1912 and renamed in 1985 in honor of former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Belden Bly. It is the oldest cantilever bridge in the United States still in use as well as the oldest Scherzer Rolling Lift...
, the oldest cantilever bridge
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
in the nation, which carries Route 107
Massachusetts Route 107
Route 107 is a north–south Massachusetts state route located along the North Shore of Massachusetts. Route 107 runs from Route 16 in Revere to Route 1A at the Essex Bridge in Salem.-Route description:...
over the Saugus River
Saugus River
The Saugus River is a river in Massachusetts.The river is long, drains a watershed of approximately , and passes through Wakefield, Lynnfield, Saugus, and Lynn as it meanders east and south from its source in Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield to its mouth at Boston Broad Sound...
was renamed after him in 1985.
Bly kept a law office in Saugus and handled cases until his death in 2006.