Early life

Shurtleff was born on July 28, 1910 in Middleborough, Massachusetts

Middleborough, Massachusetts

Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,117 as of 2008.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Middleborough Center, please see the article Middleborough Center, Massachusetts....

. He attended Williston Academy

Williston Northampton School

The Williston Northampton School, or "Williston," is a private co-educational preparatory school for boarding and day students in seventh grade through postgraduate year located in Easthampton, Massachusetts. The campus offers a range of extra-curricular activities in the arts and athletics...

 and Brown University

Brown University

Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...

.

Shurtleff worked as a writer for the Middleborough Journal and the The Standard-Times. In 1937, while working for the Journal,
Shurtleff was elected to the Middleborough, Massachusetts Board of Selectmen.

On August 12, 1938, Shurtleff married Thalia Elizabeth Forsberg. They would go on to have four children together.

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Shurtleff served as one of Middleborough's three blackout

Blackout (wartime)

A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...

 coordinators.

Mansfield, Massachusetts

In 1943, Shurtleff, who had no prior experience in the day-to-day administrative operations of a town, was named Town Manager of Mansfield, Massachusetts

Mansfield, Massachusetts

Mansfield is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population is 23,184. Mansfield is in the south-southwest suburbs of Boston and is also close to Providence, Rhode Island....

.

In 1945, Shurtleff dismissed Police Chief John Haines and named Lawrence Barrows to succeed him. Haines refused to turn over his badge and the keys to the police cruiser and maintained that he was still chief. Two months later, a Special Town Meeting voted to direct the Board of Selectmen to reinstate Haines as Chief. Shurtleff, who accused Haines of 35 counts of misconduct, including fee splitting

Fee splitting

Fee splitting is the practice of sharing fees with professional colleagues, such as physicians or lawyers, in return for being sent referrals .-Fee splitting in medicine and healthcare:...

 and insubordination

Insubordination

Insubordination is the act of willfully disobeying an authority. Refusing to perform an action that is unethical or illegal is not insubordination; neither is refusing to perform an action that is not within the scope of authority of the person issuing the order.Insubordination is typically a...

, refused to reinstate the former chief. The dismissal was upheld by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SJC has the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Western Hemisphere.-History:...

 and the Civil Service Commission.

Brookfield, Illinois

In August 1947, Shurtleff was named village manager of Brookfield, Illinois

Brookfield, Illinois

Brookfield is a suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, west of downtown. The population was 19,085 at the 2000 census...

. Shurtleff left Brookfield after only eight months to become Town Manager in 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"...

.

Saugus, Massachusetts

On February 16, 1948, Shurtleff was unanimously chosen by the Board of Selectmen to become the first Town Manager of Saugus. On February 1, 1950, Shurtleff resigned as Town Manager to accept a similar job in Medford, Massachusetts.

Medford, Massachusetts

In 1950, Shurtleff became Medford's first-ever City Manager.

During his tenure in Medford, Shurtleff clashed with State Tax Commissioner Henry F. Long over who could appoint assessors. The dispute went before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, who ruled in favor of Shurtleff.

On November 20, 1956, the Medford City Council voted 4 to 3 in favor of firing Shurtleff. After his dismissal, Shurtleff was granted a public hearing a second vote on whether or not he should be fired. Once again, the City Council voted in favor of dismissal.

In 1957, Shurtleff ran for and was elected to the Medford City Council. Soon after his election, Shurtleff led the charge to remove his successor as City Manager, John B. Kennedy

John B. Kennedy (politician)

John Boyle Kennedy was an American City manager and politician who City Manager of Medford, Massachusetts and Town Manager of Norwood, Massachusetts and Saugus, Massachusetts...

, from office. On April 8, 1958 the city council voted for to 4 to 3 to fire Kennedy. Shurtleff was later involved in the effort to remove City Manager John C. Carr, charging that City Councilor John C. Carr, Jr.'s vote for his father was a conflict of interest.

On November 18, 1964, Shurtleff died at his home of a heart attack.