When Francis “Frank” X. Bellotti ’52 passed away at the age of 101 in December, BC Law and the greater Boston community lost a legend. The Arbella Insurance Company co-founder, former Massachusetts Attorney General, and three-time gubernatorial candidate was a force in state politics for decades. He was also incredibly influential at the Law School, where its loan repayment and forgiveness program was named after him with a $3 million gift from Arbella directors and others.
As AG, Bellotti was known for fighting corruption and championing civil rights, and his office was often used as a model for others around the US. He called himself and his assistant attorneys general the “people’s lawyers.”
After high school, Bellotti joined the Navy and served overseas with the elite Scouts and Raiders, the forerunners of the Navy Seals. When he returned, he attended Tufts University. In 1952, Bellotti graduated sixth in his class of 145 from BC Law. Eventually, he started a law firm with a classmate and established himself as one of the area’s most go-to attorneys before his first bid for public office.