Paul J. Ellison (July 17, 1940–January 20, 1988) was an American politician who served on the Boston School Committee from 1972 to 1976.
In 1966 he completed his courses in history and government at BU and had enough credits to graduate, but could not receive his degree because he owed the school money.
[1] Ellison's first campaign for public office was in 1966 when he ran for a seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
[1] In 1967 he ran for a seat on the Boston School Committee and finished fifteenth out of twenty candidates.
In January 1972, Ellison was forced to resign as a teacher due to Corporation Counsel Herbert P. Gleason's ruling that Ellison's leave of absence may have violated a law that forbade school committee members from holding positions in the school department.
[3] On January 3, 1972, Ellison began working as a legislative aide to three state representatives from Boston (Royal L. Bolling, Carter Kimbrel, and Franklin B. Holgate).
He later served as chief clerk to the Registrar of Probate, James W. Hennigan Jr.[5] In April 1972, Ellison initiated the committee's effort to remove Superintendent William H.
That same year he was arrested in Bourne, Massachusetts for drunkenness and accepted guilt in a civil case regarding a car crash in Boston.
[8] On July 29, Suffolk County District Attorney Garrett H. Byrne announced that his office would investigate the Globe's allegations against Ellison.
[16] On July 7, 1977, while on a prison furlough, Ellison filed his candidacy for the Boston City Council.