Museum Announces 2018-2019 Board: Recommits to Mission, Relevance in Today's West End

Boston, MA—The West End Museum is proud to announce its 2018-2019 Board of Directors. Two new members, Paul R. Senecal and Michael J. Gropman, join those re-elected to serve, including Board President Joe McDonald.

​In today’s ever-changing West End, the Board remains as committed as ever to the mission of collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history and culture of this once vibrant, multicultural, and working class neighborhood, while maintaining a relevant connection to the community as it continues to evolve. The roots of the Board’s ties to the neighborhood are deep, with 80 percent of its members being original and/or current residents, or descendants of original residents.

Gropman shared a sentiment common among the current Museum Board members, “I think it’s our duty and obligation—because we gained so much from the lessons that our parents took from the West End—to continue to celebrate the neighborhood, memorialize it, and pass on those enduring lessons.”

Senecal grew up in the old West End, and Gropman is a descendant of former West Enders. Both men currently live in Brookline but maintain strong connections to the old neighborhood. Now retired, Senecal set the standard for style in Boston as General Manager of the Jordan Marsh flagship store at Downtown Crossing for 30 years, when it was a retail magnet. Gropman is a Deputy Superintendent in the Brookline Police Department and Commander of its Community Service Division. (Media note: Download photos of Senecal and Gropman here.)

The 2018-2019 West End Museum Board of Directors is:​

About the West End Museum:
The West End Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of the history and culture of the West End  neighborhood. The Museum’s permanent exhibit, “The Last Tenement,” highlights the immigrant history of the neighborhood through its decimation under Urban Renewal in 1959; two additional galleries feature rotating exhibits. The Museum is located  near North Station at 150 Staniford St. Suite 7. Hours: Tuesday – Friday 12:00pm – 5:00pm; Saturday 11:00am – 4:00pm. Admission is free.