April 04, 2006
"The Portuguese Pioneers of Westport"
Dr. Antone Vieira and Dr. Maria Da Gloria Mulcahy will present a program
"The Portuguese Pioneers of Westport" on Thursday, April 20th at 7:30 P. M.
at the Bell Schoolhouse, 25 Drift Road Head of Westport. The program is
sponsored by the Westport Historical Society.
Many Westport families have Portuguese origins. Tony Vieira and Maria Da
Gloria Mulcahy will present findings from their research into the
Portuguese of Westport. During this project, they interviewed many local
individuals about their family life, property and profession, and also
used census records to track some the earliest Portuguese immigrants in
Westport to their living descendants.
Dr. Antone Vieira is from a third generation Portuguese farming family
with a long tradition of serving the interests of the Westport
community. He received a master's degree in educational administration
from Bridgewater State College and a doctorate in education from UMass
Amherst. He is currently the Executive Director for Corporate Programs
and Partnerships at UMass Dartmouth and has served the Town of Westport
in many capacities.
Dr. Maria Da Gloria Mulcahy is a sociologist with a particular interest
in the adjustment of Portuguese immigrants to the United States. She
received a doctorate in sociology from Brown University and now teaches
at Bristol Community College and Connecticut College. She is currently
writing a book on the Portuguese immigrants of Westport.
Admission is free, but donations will be gladly accepted. Refreshments
will be provided. Please call the Historical Society at 508-636-6011
for reservations so that we can plan accordingly.