The 1973 Norwich Native Son was Connecticut Dept. of Transportation Commissioner James Shugrue. He was born in Norwich, the son of John F. and Abigail (Fogarty) Shugrue and attended local schools.
“Bud” Shugrue served in the South Pacific during World War II as a member of the 58th Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) and achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He was awarded a Navy Commendation Medal, and earned three battle stars for campaigns at Guadalcanal, Vella Lavella, and Okinawa.
He was a Registered Professional Engineer, employed by the CT Department of Transportation for 39 years, beginning as a surveyor and holding increasingly responsible positions including Chief of Construction, Chief Engineer, and Deputy Commissioner. He was appointed Commissioner of the DOT by Governor Ella Grasso in 1975, retiring in 1979. At the DOT he supervised the design and construction of over 600 miles of Connecticut expressways and Interstate highways, but changed with the times and was particularly proud of the progress in mass transit, including van pools and commuter buses, made during the 1970’s.
He was appointed Chairman of the CT Resources Recovery Authority by Governor William O’Neill in 1984 and served in that capacity until 1987, during a period of significant construction of the state’s waste-to-energy plants. He also served on the Governor’s Screening Committee from 1987 to 1999, served as chairman of the Norwich Housing Authority, chairman of North Central CT Infoline, and was a member of the Wethersfield Planning and Zoning Commission.
James Shugrue passed away in 2011. He was 93.