Arthur E. Chase (February 4, 1930 – January 5, 2015) was an American businessman and politician who represented the Worcester District in the Massachusetts Senate from 1991 to 1995. He co-founded the Central Massachusetts Legislative Caucus. In 1991 he designed the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI and in 1992 sponsored legislation to create it. He was the Republican nominee for Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1994, but lost in the general election to William F. Galvin.
Early life
Chase was born on February 4, 1930, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Commerce High School and founded Chase Paper Co. in 1947 and in 1951.Worcester Junior College, Worcester, Massachusetts Chase served in the United States Army from 1952 to 1954.
Business career
In 1947, Chase and his family founded Chase Paper Company, a stationery company. In 1977, Chase was selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the Small Business Person of the Year. That same year he received a certificate from the Harvard Business School Smaller Company Management Program The company was chosen to print the official invitations for the 1981 inauguration of Ronald Reagan. In 1984, Chase sold his interest in Chase Paper Company.
In 1989, Chase founded a second stationery company, Checkerboard Ltd. Checkerboard specializes in personalized invitations and stationery. It was one of the first stationery companies to offer the products created with recycled paper. In 1992, Chase convinced his youngest son, Micah Chase, to join the company. He succeeded his father as Checkerboard's CEO in 1994. In 2011, Checkerboard received the Central Massachusetts Family Business Award from the Graduate School of Management at Clark University.
Worcester city government
Chase's career in public service began as a member the advisory board of Quinsigamond Community College. From 1978 to 1981 he was a member of the Worcester School Committee. During his tenure on the School Committee, Chase supported bilingual education and successfully pushed for public transportation in Latino neighborhoods where the children had been forced to take dangerous short cuts to get to school. He is also credited with leading the move to consolidate the Vocational and Public School systems in the City of Worcester.
From 1983 to 1989, Chase served as an at-large member of the Worcester City Council. Councilor Chase was a fiscal conservative who led the fights for a water purification and filtration system, streamlining of the city's data processing system, proper handling of hazardous waste, affirmative action, broader representation on city boards and commissions, and cleaning up and improving the inner-city neighborhoods.
Massachusetts State Senate
Chase represented Boylston, Clinton, Shrewsbury, West Boylston and Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10 of Worcester in the Massachusetts Senate from 1991 to 1995. During this time he served on the Counties (1991–1994), Ways and Means (1991–1994), Health Care (1991–1992), Steering and Policy (1991–1992), Education (1993–1994), Arts and Humanities (1993–1994), Local Affairs (1993–1994), and Public Service Committees (1993–1994).
During his tenure in the Senate, Chase co-founded the Central Massachusetts Legislative Caucus. He designed the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI then the sponsored legislation to create it, and was a leader in the effort to abolish county governments, reform unemployment insurance laws, and correct flaws in the program that allowed students to attend school in neighboring districts., supported the creation of a commuter rail service between Worcester and Boston Chase was also pro-choice, which put him at odds with some members of his party.
In 1991, Senator Chase fought against the way the School Choice bill was being financed, which he felt was a "reverse Robin Hood" that took money away from poorer communities to finance richer ones. Amendments were later made over the course of the next three years that changed the way that school choice would be funded.