{{short description|American politician (1930-2007)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Barry Locke | image = Barry Locke Harvard Brattle station ribbon cutting, March 1979.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = Locke in 1979 | birth_date = {{birth date|1930|12|21}} | birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, United States | death_date = {{death date and age|2007|03|04|1930|12|21}} | death_place = Rockville, Maryland, United States | occupation = Politician | alma_mater = Boston University | parents = Arthur Locke (father)<br>Lillian Mahler (mother) | relatives = Alan (brother) | title1 = Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation | term_start1 = 1979 | term_end1 = 1981 | predecessor1 = Frederick P. Salvucci | successor1 = James Carlin | title2 = Vermont Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs | term_start2 = 1961 | term_end2 = 1963 | predecessor2 = Franklin S. Billings, Jr. | successor2 = T. Wesley Grady }}

'''Barry Myles Locke''' (December 21, 1930 – March 4, 2007) was an American politician who served as Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation from 1979 until he was indicted for corruption in 1981.

==Early life== Born to Arthur "Leo" Locke and Lillian Mahler, Locke graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1953. He served two years in the United States Army as a public information officer. After the military, Locke spent five years as a newspaper editor in Michigan before returning to New England as Vermont bureau chief for the United Press International.<ref name=Cooper />

==Early government career== Locke's government career began in 1961 as the chief administrator and press secretary to the Vermont Governor F. Ray Keyser, Jr.<ref name=Cooper>{{cite news|last=Cooper|first=Kenneth J.|title=The public service career of Barry M. Locke|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/684305471.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=August 11, 2011|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=July 18, 1981|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107163515/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/684305471.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead}}</ref> Later that year he became the state's Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs.<ref name=IRS>{{cite news|title=Roslindale Man Gets News Post With IRS Office|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=March 3, 1963}}</ref>

In 1963, Locke was appointed public information officer in the office of the Internal Revenue Service's assistant regional commissioner for administration.<ref name=IRS />

===Aide to John A. Volpe=== From 1964 to 1969 Locke served as press secretary to Governor John A. Volpe.<ref name=Cooper /> When Volpe became United States Secretary of Transportation after the election of Richard M. Nixon, he joined him as a personal aide.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mass Transit Progeam Encounters Opposition|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ub5IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sQENAAAAIBAJ&pg=1137,4195375|accessdate=August 11, 2011|agency=Associated Press|date=June 3, 1960}}</ref>

After Volpe's departure as transportation secretary, Locke served as the public relations director for the Office of Economic Opportunity<ref>{{cite news|last=Means|first=Marrianne|title=President Learns More Facts of Life|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZH0gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B2gFAAAAIBAJ|accessdate=August 11, 2011|agency=Associated Press |date=March 3, 1973}}</ref> and Director of the Office of Energy Policy John Arthur Love.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stockton|first=William|title='Voluntary efforts' key to solving crisis|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=whldAAAAIBAJ&sjid=e1oNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1023,3772467|accessdate=August 11, 2011|agency=Associated Press |date=November 9, 1973}}</ref>

While working in Washington, he served as the manager for middleweight boxer Leo Saenz.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lookout|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20063984,00.html|accessdate=August 11, 2011|newspaper=People|date=April 22, 1974}}</ref>

===Bi-State Development Agency=== In 1977, Locke was appointed executive director of the Bi-State Development Agency.<ref>{{cite news|title=Focus on Politics|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=December 25, 1977}}</ref> In this position he oversaw St. Louis's transportation network and managed a 2,400-employee workforce.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kenney|first=Charles|title=King Suspends Locke in T Probe|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=May 3, 1981}}</ref>

==Secretary of Transportation and Chairman of the MBTA== In 1979, Locke joined the cabinet of Massachusetts Governor Edward J. King as Secretary of Transportation. In 1980, Locke took on a second role as acting chairman of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ("The T").<ref>{{cite news|last=Radin|first=Charles A.|title=Balance Sheet on the T-Wars|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/686031151.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=August 11, 2011|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=December 8, 1980|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107163528/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/686031151.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1981, a reorganization of the MBTA forced Locke to turn over the day-to-day operation of The T to a general manager.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mancusi|first=Peter|title=O'Leary Replaces Locke as Head Man at the T|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/684124681.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=August 11, 2011|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=April 1, 1981|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107163559/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/684124681.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On May 1, 1981, Locke was placed on an unpaid leave of absence from his MBTA and cabinet posts after Governor King learned that Massachusetts Attorney General Francis X. Bellotti was investigating Locke for accepting kickbacks.<ref>{{cite news|title=T head suspended|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R6krAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IP0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6992,613062|accessdate=August 11, 2011|agency=Associated Press |date=May 4, 1981}}</ref>

===Indictment and conviction=== {{Main|MBTA kickback schemes}} On July 17, 1981, Locke and eight others were indicted for their roles in a kickback scheme at the MBTA.

On February 2, 1982, Locke was convicted on five counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and larceny.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-Massachusetts official convicted in bribery case|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=X5BTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t4YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4115,6423290|accessdate=August 13, 2011|newspaper=United Press International|date=February 2, 1982}}</ref> Locke is the only Massachusetts Cabinet Secretary to be convicted of a felony while in office since the state's adoption of the cabinet system in 1970.<ref name=Kindleberger /><ref name=AP />

At sentencing, the prosecution requested a four- to five-year sentence. However, Judge Rudolph Pierce, who described Locke as having an "insatiable appetite" for payoffs, believed that the prosecution's sentence request was insufficient because it could allow Locke to be out on parole within 16 months. He sentenced Locke to 7 to 10 years in Walpole State Prison.<ref name=AP>{{cite news|title=Barry Locke sentenced to 7–10 years in Walpole|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HaMrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n_wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3880,3603844|accessdate=August 11, 2011|agency=Associated Press |date=February 17, 1982}}</ref>

==Prison== Locke began serving his sentence on March 19, 1982, in Walpole State Prison, but was later transferred to Concord State Prison for the classification process. On July 1, he was transferred to the medium-security Berkshire House of Correction.<ref>{{cite news|title=Locke is Transferred to Jail in Pittsfield|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/666437911.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=August 11, 2011|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=July 2, 1982|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107163621/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/666437911.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead}}</ref> On December 23, he was transferred to the Lawrence House of Correction on the basis of family hardship.<ref>{{cite news|title=Locke moved to Lawrence jail|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8KUrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1PwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4499,5943938|accessdate=August 11, 2011|agency=Associated Press |date=December 28, 1982}}</ref> While in prison, Locke was the editor of a jailhouse newspaper.<ref name=Locke>{{cite news|title=Barry Locke|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sh0vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P9wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5785,4671696|accessdate=August 11, 2011|agency=Associated Press |date=April 6, 1983}}</ref>

On September 29, 1983, Judge Pierce reduced Locke's sentence to 6 to 10 years, as he had miscalculated the date when Locke would have been eligible for parole.<ref>{{cite news|title=Barry Locke – 'Mistake' in jail term hastens parole|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2KcrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-vwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7025,5412008|accessdate=August 11, 2011|agency=Associated Press |date=September 30, 1983}}</ref>

On March 19, 1984, Locke was released on parole.<ref name=Kindleberger>{{cite news|last=Kindleberger|first=R.S.|title=Locke Free, Vows to Aid Prison Reform in Mass.|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/662767341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=August 11, 2011|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=March 20, 1984|archive-date=March 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325152658/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/662767341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Later life and death== Locke later left Massachusetts and moved to Montgomery Village, Maryland.<ref name=Gazette>{{cite news|title=Barry Locke|url=http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/030707/montobi213802_32329.shtml|accessdate=August 11, 2011|newspaper=The Gazette|date=March 7, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404180442/http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/030707/montobi213802_32329.shtml|archive-date=April 4, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> For five years he was the president of CHI Centers, a Silver Spring, Maryland-based organization that serves the developmentally disabled. In 2006 he received the Spirit to Serve Award from Marriott International.<ref name=Gazette /><ref>{{cite news|last=Zylwitis|first=Liz M.|title=New president, new vision for CHI Centers|url=http://ww2.gazette.net/gazette_archive/1999/199937/takoma/news/a28873-1.html|accessdate=August 11, 2011|newspaper=The Gazette|date=September 8, 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404180446/http://ww2.gazette.net/gazette_archive/1999/199937/takoma/news/a28873-1.html|archive-date=April 4, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Locke died on March 4, 2007, of a heart attack.<ref name=Gazette />

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

{{Edward J. King cabinet}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Locke, Barry}} Category:1930 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Boston University alumni Category:United States Army officers Category:American newspaper editors Category:American public relations people Category:People from Canton, Massachusetts Category:Politicians from Boston Category:People from Montgomery Village, Maryland Category:Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority people Category:Massachusetts government officials convicted of crimes Category:Massachusetts secretaries of transportation Category:State cabinet secretaries of Vermont Category:Military personnel from Massachusetts Category: Massachusetts politicians convicted of crimes Category:Prisoners and detainees of Massachusetts Category:20th-century Vermont politicians