The legislation to create the park was sponsored by United States Senator and Lowell native Paul Tsongas.
Paul Tsongas (1941–1997), American Senator and Presidential nominee
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When James Shannon decided to run for the Senate seat vacated by the ailing Paul Tsongas, Atkins ran and was elected as a Democrat to the 99th Congress in 1984.
A bipartisan organization, it was founded by U.S. Senator Warren Rudman, former Secretary of Commerce Peter George Peterson, and U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas.