Nick Mitropoulos, a prominent figure in the Greek-American community, died Monday at the age of 73. He rose to prominence as the right-hand man to former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis during his presidential campaign in 1988 and went on to play an active role in the state’s political life.
Mitropoulos maintained close ties with the Greek-American community, advising many Greek politicians who sought his guidance, and supporting every Greek initiative in Boston, from student efforts to broader community projects.
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he was the third child of Aikaterini and Theodoros Mitropoulos. He graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, attended Boston University and later went on to earn a second postgraduate degree at the University of Oxford in England.
His political career began with Democratic nominee George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign. After working on Jimmy Carter’s campaign in 1976, he became deputy director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he served for five years.
With Dukakis
In 1983, Dukakis hired him as chief of staff, a role in which he helped staff the governor’s cabinet and the state administration. During Dukakis’ 1988 presidential campaign, Mitropoulos was often referred to as his “body man” – a constant presence by his side, serving as a special adviser throughout the Democratic governor’s bid for the White House. Mitropoulos often said he probably logged more than 500,000 miles on the campaign trail, traveling with Dukakis everywhere from the cornfields of Iowa to television studios for debates.
“Mitropoulos has been like a traveling mom. He brings the candidate his bran flakes, tells him when he needs a shave and is generally elected to take long, nighttime fast-walks with Dukakis,” the Washington Post wrote shortly before the election in 1988.
His friendship with Dukakis, as well as with many of his colleagues on the campaign, endured until his death. After the 1988 election, Mitropoulos returned to the Kennedy School, where he spent nine years as executive director of the A. Alfred Taubman Center for State and Local Government. He also served as an informal adviser to many governors and mayors across the country, including Boston mayors Tom Menino and Michelle Wu, who currently holds office.
He is survived by three children, Alexandra, Theodore and Arielle; his former wife, Nayla; and two sisters, Margarita, and her husband Dennis, and Sophia.