Joseph H. Boyd

Joseph Hamilton Boyd, Jr. is a retired politician, governmental relations consultant, and author. By age 31 Boyd had traveled to 48 States and 23 countries as a top personal Aide to Nelson A. Rockefeller. He made his congressional bid in Suffolk County, New York in 1972 and lost by only a small margin in a race against a well entrenched incumbent. His book project "Oreo's & Dubonnet" including his experiences and memories as well as those he's collected from former colleges should be available sometime in 2010.
Personal life
Joseph H. Boyd Jr. was born May 13, 1938 to Mr. & Mrs. Joseph H. Boyd Sr. of Montclair NJ.
Boyd married his first wife Margaret "Peggy" Mayes Boyd in 1967 who he first met as a child but became involved with after his parents requested that he to "show her around" New York City when she first moved there from Montclair New Jersey. Joe and Peggy's parents new each other from the Montclair Country Club.
After three attempts at having children, Joseph H. Boyd and his wife adopted two sons through the Edna Gladney Home in Fort Worth Texas;
Duncan Hamilton Boyd, born April 4, 1974;
and Andrew Joseph Boyd, born April 3, 1977.
In 1985, Boyd suffered a massive stroke which paralyzed the left side of his body. In defiance of doctors claims that he would never walk again, Boyd took his family skiing one year later and cross country skied for the first time. One year after that, Boyd skied downhill at Mad River Glen in Vermont on a family vacation in order to keep a promise to his sons.
June 4, 1998, Margaret M. Boyd dies of colon cancer.
1999, Boyd married his second wife Sara Gear Boyd, a former state senator from Burlington Vermont who he had known for many years through his work as a lobbyist for Pfizer Inc.
June 10, 2008, Sara Gear Boyd dies of ovarian cancer and leukemia.
Presently, Boyd resides near Burlington Vermont and enjoys spending time with his two sons and visiting with friends.
Politics
Colgate
While attending Colgate University in 1958, Boyd was asked as the state and local President of the Young Republicans to introduce their guest speaker, Nelson A. Rockefeller who was campaigning for Governor of New York. Rockefeller was so impressed with Boyd's introduction that upon completing his remarks, Rockefeller instructed Boyd to get on the campaign bus and serve as his "Liaison for College Affairs" for the rest of his campaign. Without so much as a toothbrush or any money in his pocket, Boyd climbed aboard the bus and accompanied Rockefeller for the remainder of his campaign.
At the Campaign's end Rockefeller arranged for Boyd to be relayed in Sheriffs cars from county to county in order to return him to Colgate. By the time he arrived his escort had grown into a parade of Sheriffs cars led by Colgate security who announced Boyd's return over a bull horn as they drove through campus. In the midst of all the commotion, Boyd knew what he had to do; He lowered his window, smiled, and waived.
Advance Man
In 1960, having graduated from Colgate University, Boyd went to work for Governor Rockefeller as an advance man.
In 1963, Boyd became Chief of Advance, a role he maintained in addition to his various other duties during his tenure with the Rockefeller administration.
Executive Secretary
In 1963 Boyd served as U.S. Senator Keating's executive secretary while on loan from Rockefeller. This was during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Special Assistant to the Governor
From 1965 - 1973 Boyd kept an office adjacent to Rockefeller both in New York City and in Albany
while served as Special Assistant to the Governor.
The Pure Waters Bond Act
In 1965, Boyd served as program associate for the historic Pure Waters Bond Act and as the Chairman of the Environmental Conservation Committee of New York State Jaycees.
Transportation Bond Issue
In 1967, Boyd ran the special committee under Rockefeller regarding the Transportation Bond Issue.
Chief of Advance
In 1966, Boyd hired Joseph L. Bruno to work on that years re-election campaign for Nelson A. Rockefeller. Bruno would later become one of New York's most influential senators.
In 1968, Boyd oversaw the coordination of two DC-6s which Rockefeller chartered to fly VIP's out of LaGuardia (NYC) and a Congressional contingent out of Washington D.C. to attend the funeral for Martin Luther King, Jr.
Congressional Liaison Officer
In 1968 Boyd served as Congressional Liaison Officer to Governor Rockefeller in Washington DC.
Rockefeller's 1968 Presidential Bid
During Nelson Rockefeller's 1968 Presidential bid, Boyd served as his Chief Organizer and Personal Travel Aide.
The Presidential Mission to Latin America
In 1969, Boyd was asked by Governor Rockefeller to serve as Special Envoy and Chief of Advance for the Presidential Mission to Latin America.
Appointments Officer
Following his return from the Presidential Mission, Boyd served as Appointments Officer to Governor Rockefeller.
In 1970, Boyd hired George Pataki to work on Governor Rockefeller's advance team. Pataki would later become Governor of New York.
Congressional Candidate
In 1972 Joseph H. Boyd Jr. ran for Congress in the first congressional district of New York. He lost to the incumbent after a close race in which he fared much better than anyone had predicted.

May I say, too, that I am proud to be here with the two Congressmen--I mean one present Congressman and one to be, my friend Jim Grover and Joe Boyd,1 who belongs in the United States Congress. Come up here and take a bow so they can see you. Come on. Here he is. Jim, you are a cinch, but take a bow too. We need you. Can I say that to do the job that we need to do in Washington we need their help. I also have a special reason about Joe Boyd, particularly. I would like to say that I lived in this county and I have some special connections with it. I wrote my 1968 acceptance speech at Montauk Point, so I have a special feeling for it. Also, my daughter, my daughter Tricia, now Tricia Cox, and her husband, have as their voting residence Suffolk County, and they would like to have this fine young man, Joe Boyd, as their Congressman. So, how about voting--giving him one in this respect? (President Richard Nixon, 1972)

New York State Racing & Wagering Board
On June 30, 1973, Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller made Boyd the first permanent appointment to the newly formed New York State Racing and Wagering Board.
Pfizer
In 1978, Boyd was hired by Pfizer Inc. as the Senior Manager of State Governmental Relations for twenty four Eastern States. He worked for Pfizer for sixteen years until his partial retirement in 1994.
Senior Adviser
From 1995 - 1999, Boyd served as Senior Adviser to Governor George Pataki.
From 1996 - 1999, Boyd served as Senior Adviser to Bob King the Chancellor of the State University of New York.
Oreo's & Dubonnet
Boyd compiled stories about Nelson A. Rockefeller as told in person and in letters by numerous of his former colleagues who illustrate Rockefeller from a uniquely personal perspective. He sold his manuscript, then titled Oreo's & Dubonnet, to the New York State Archives in 2008 with the understanding that it would be edited by former political journalist Charles Holcomb and subsequently published by the SUNY press. The title "Oreo's & Dubonnet" was chosen because those close Rockefeller know that he enjoyed Oreo cookies every night before bed and a glass of Dubonnet with lunch.

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