Barringer, Richard oral history interview, 2002

File

Identifier: MOH 330

Staff Only

Barringer, Richard oral history interview

Scope and Contents

Interview includes discussions of: family background and education; environmental protection (bug worm infestation); Charlestown, Massachusetts; voting scandal; 1980s education reform; Maine university system and the relationships between them; Muskie School for Public Service; and the Maine Education Commission.

Dates

2002

Access Restrictions

Some interviews may be restricted pending approval of the interviewee. See the Archives staff for additional information.

Most interviews are available online (audio and transcripts) and can be accessed by clicking the highlighted link at each interviewee webpage.

Biographical / Historical

Richard E. “Dick” Barringer was born on November 21, 1937 and grew up in Charlestown, Massachusetts. His father was captain of the guard at the Charles Street jail and his mother was the daughter of Portuguese immigrants. He attended Harvard and served in the Coast Guard from 1959 to 1967. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics and Political Science from MIT, then taught at Harvard. He is the author of two books: The Maine Manifest and Changes. He became Director of Public Lands in Maine in 1973, and was appointed Commissioner of Conservation in 1975. He ran for governor of Maine in 1994. He is married to Martha Freeman, daughter of Stan and Madeleine Freeman, who is the author of the book: Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, 1952-1964.