Paul Cellucci

Argeo Paul Cellucci (April 24, 1948 – June 8, 2013) was an American politician and diplomat. He was the 69th Governor of Massachusetts and United States Ambassador to Canada.

Early life
Cellucci was born on April 24, 1948 in Hudson, Massachusetts. He studied at Boston College Law School and the private Hudson Catholic High School. Cellucci was married to Jan Cellucci until his death in 2013. They had two children.

Career
On November 3, 1998, Paul Cellucci was elected as Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, narrowly defeating Democratic attorney general Scott Harshbarger. He had successfully fought off a challenge from State Treasurer Joe Malone in the September primary. He was sworn in as the 69th Governor of Massachusetts on January 7, 1999.

On April 10, 2001, Cellucci resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to Canada, being appointed by President George W. Bush. This made him the second consecutive Massachusetts governor to resign in order to assume an ambassadorship: his predecessor William Weld resigned after being nominated to be Ambassador to Mexico by President Bill Clinton. (Weld was never confirmed by the United States Senate, however, and hence never was Ambassador.)

In 2008, Cellucci has said that after thirty-five years in public service he had no intention of seeking further office, and that while he had no interest in serving as Vice President, he did not exclusively rule it out. He supported John McCain's candidacy for president in 2008.

Death
On January 6, 2011, Cellucci announced his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis, and that it was progressing relatively slowly. Cellucci died on June 8, 2013 in Hudson, Massachusetts from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aged 65.

References

Other websites
 Official Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Biography
 Cato Institute, Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2000, Cato Institute, Policy Analysis no. 391, February 12, 2001
 CBC news story of Cellucci's appointment as Ambassador, CBC, February 13, 2001
 CBC news story about Cellucci's planned departure from Canada, CBC, January 4, 2005
 Former U.S. ambassador Paul Cellucci joins Magna Entertainment, CBC, March 18, 2005

Category:1948 births
Category:2013 deaths
Category:Deaths from motor neurone disease
Category:Governors of Massachusetts
Category:Lieutenant Governors of Massachusetts
Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Canada
Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians
Category:American Roman Catholics
Category:20th-century American politicians
Category:21st-century American politicians