Joseph Flood

Joseph E. Flood (D) Mayor of Taunton, Massachusetts 1970 to 1972. Elected Mayor after having retired as Chairman of the Board of Assessors. Completed over 30 years as a member of that Board. (1) As Mayor, he was responsible for the construction of the new Taunton High School, which replaced the one built in 1919 by his father former Taunton Mayor William Flood.(2) Known as "The Quiet Mayor" Flood was popular among downtown merchants because he walked daily to City Hall from his home behind Morton Hospital, stopping and greeting everyone as he went. (3) He was defeated in the election of 1972, in part because he refused to actively campaign devoting his time to his wife, Anna, who was then quite ill.(4) Flood felt vindicated when in 1974 (5) he was elected to the City Council and served several terms. (6)

(1) ... public records City of Taunton (2) ... "Learning the Political Ropes ... my early days in Taunton with Mayors Cleary, Friedman and Flood" unpublished memoirs of Judge Michael A. Botelho (3) ... ibid (4) ... ibid (5) ... ibid (6) ... public records City of Taunton