Bonadieu 1970, St. Bonaventure Archives

Congressman James T. Walsh was born on June 19, 1947 in Syracuse, NY. He is the son of William and Mary Walsh. Walsh grew up in Syracuse and has remained a part of the community. Not only has he lived there most of his life, he has worked to improve Syracuse as a politician. He did this by serving on the Syracuse Common Council and representing Syracuse as a United States Congressman.           Walsh’s education began at St. Patrick’s school in Syracuse. For high school he attended Christian Brother’s Academy, graduating in 1966. Next he went to St. Bonaventure University where he graduated as a history major in 1970.  Walsh followed that with two years in the Peace Corps from 1970-1972.  He spent this time in Nepal teaching a small village modern agricultural techniques.

Walsh did not enter politics immediately after his Peace Corps experience. He first worked for Social Services in Onondaga County as an income examiner and was there for 18 months. Next he became a telephone company executive for AT&T in 1974. After the break up of AT&T, he worked for NYNEX Telecommunications. In 1986 he became the director of the Telecommunications Institute at SUNY in Utica/Rome.    In 1978, Walsh began his political career in the city of Syracuse by becoming a councilor for the 3rd district on the Syracuse Common Council. For the next ten years, Walsh established himself as a Republican politician and supported legislation for parks, recreation and the environment in Syracuse. In 1986, Walsh became the president of the Common Council and continued to serve in this capacity until he was elected to Congress in 1988.

 

Congressional Baseball Game

Walsh ran for congressional office in 1988 for the first time. At the time he was really only well recognized by the people served by the Syracuse Common Council. Over the years, his popularity grew and he was recognized throughout his district for his congressional service. Walsh had a group of supporters who helped to push his campaigns to victory in every election. His campaigns were very successful and well organized. Walsh was known for knocking on doors and finding out the needs of the people he represented.           As a congressman, Walsh seized many opportunities to provide aid to Syracuse and other areas of Central New York. He promoted innovative technology strategies. During his two decades in Congress, Walsh became a leading advocate for Central New York businesses as a part of his long-term plan to help renovate the area's economy. He wanted to help move the region from an old-line manufacturing economy to one that focuses on creating technology and knowledge-based jobs.

One of the other major projects that Walsh became involved in to help improve Syracuse and Central New York was the clean-up effort of Onondaga Lake. The lake had become very polluted over the years from a combination of industrial waste and sewage overflow. It had become so polluted that it was a public health hazard and having a negative effect on the area surrounding it. Walsh used his position in Congress to gain federal appropriations to aid the clean-up effort. The clean-up involved the efforts of the local, state and federal governments to push forward and fund projects. Walsh was able to bring $160 million to Onondaga County to help clean-up the lake. The projects completed thus far have increased the clarity of the lake, helped reduced contaminants in the lake, improved sewage treatment and reduced combined sewage overflows which were polluting the lake.

Bayou Meta Trip, Stuttgart, AK, 2005

           Another project that Congressman James T. Walsh worked on was the Hancock Air Force Base, which is located outside of Syracuse, NY. Hancock was used during the Second World War. It was commissioned to be built on December 31st, 1941and cost $16,000,000. Walsh proposed and voted on various laws that have contributed to the funding of Hancock Air Force Base. Today it is Syracuse Hancock International Airport serving over two million people  a year.