Martin Neal Gopen papers

Martin Neal Gopen was born August 13, 1934 and died on June 18, 2006, spending the majority of his life in the South End of Boston, MA. During that time he worked as a political activist and advocate for underserved communities. He attended Northeastern University (1950-1952), but earned his undergraduate (1955-1960) and graduate (1960-1961) degrees from Boston University. He served in the US Army from 1951-1953 when he was honorably discharged. He was involved in numerous social justice organization boards that served minorities and women, including the Tent City Corporation and the Institute of Affirmative Action. He also worked with South End community organizations, including United South End Settlements; Urban League; as campaign manager for Mel King; and with the Boston Fair Housing Commission, the Boston Housing Authority, and the Massachusetts Port Authority. He was awarded the 1988 Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Award at the 3rd annual Rainbow Leadership banquet, the 1990 Saco-Vanzetti Award from the Community Church of Boston, and the 1991 Action for Boston Community Development South End Neighborhood Service Center (South End Neighborhood Action Program) Award.