DOWNTOWN
Great men
By Steve Bailey, Globe Columnist | April 14, 2006
Like a lot of you, I have been here for the good times and the bad. The booms and the busts. In nearly a quarter of a century of sitting in the same place, more or less, I have had a chance to closely watch the people who have made a difference in the Boston economy. We are a place that has always made a living on innovation, and we have had many innovative leaders. But in that quarter century there is only a handful of what I would consider great men. And, yes, they have all been men. They are builders, people with vision -- vision that often transcended their own institutions. Most are known for their social conscience. It's worth noting that even great men get it wrong sometimes. But that does not at all negate what they accomplished. In no particular order, here is one man's view of greatness. Edwin Land. The inventor of instant photography, Land built Polaroid into a model corporation, admired for its innovation and enlightened social conscience. He was a born creator, whose 537 patents are second only to Thomas Edison. His reply to a pesky analyst about his one great flop, Polavision: ''The bottom line? The bottom line is in heaven."Ken Olsen and An Wang. They defined the heyday of Route 128, a day when there were actually big technology companies on America's Technology Highway. Digital Equipment and Wang Laboratories owned the minicomputer business, and the two companies spun off dozens of start-ups that drove the Massachusetts Miracle. That they both missed the next wave shows only that even the smartest people can get it wrong, too.Terry Murray. He will forever be known as New England's greatest banker, a man who started with a little bank in Rhode Island and eventually rolled up the entire industry into Fleet Financial. If he were in a confessional mood, he might admit he would like to have back his final deal, the acquisition of BankBoston, a deal that wounded the bank and put it in the hands of Bank of America.Bill Edgerly. When Edgerly arrived at State Street Bank, it was hip-deep in bad loans. He did nothing less than transform a plain vanilla commercial bank into a money machine that serviced the mutual fund industry. But he did more: He was a tireless advocate for education reform and affordable housing, pursuits he continues to this day.Jack Connors. If all Connors did was build a large advertising company, he would be considered a fine businessman. But Connors has also been the go-to guy in the business community for two decades. Most recently it was his role in getting healthcare expansion through Beacon Hill on behalf of his beloved hospitals. But his fingerprints, on things big and small, are everywhere.John Silber. My most controversial pick, Silber transformed Boston University from a commuter school to a university that matters in a city where only Harvard and MIT once mattered. Lovable he's not; determined and effective he was.Ned Johnson. He turned a family business into what remains the largest mutual fund company in the world -- though the world is gaining. Innovation, a willingness to spend on technology, and a commitment to run the place like his name is on the door is what set him apart. Many an institution has benefited from his ''anonymous" gifts.Norman Leventhal. He was the developer who proved you really can get something done in Boston, the man who changed the physical face of Boston. Among his greatest hits: Rowes Wharf, Center Plaza, the Langham Hotel, a remade South Station, and most importantly, Post Office Square.These nine made an indelible mark on Boston. My question: Who are the next great men -- and women, too? I don't see a lot of them. Do you? Steve Bailey is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at bailey@globe.com or at 617-929-2902. 
© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.
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