Background
Atkins was born in Geneva, Switzerland on April 14, 1948, and graduated from Concord-Carlisle High School of Concord, Massachusetts in 1966 and Antioch College in 1970.
Atkins was born in Geneva, Switzerland on April 14, 1948, and graduated from Concord-Carlisle High School of Concord, Massachusetts in 1966 and Antioch College in 1970.
Antioch University.
He is a Democrat from Massachusetts. Atkins was exposed to progressive politics on Antioch"s highly politicized campus in the late 60"s and early 70"son He was the first chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and later chaired the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
He also served as chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee from 1977 to 1990.
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. He served there for four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1993).
His last campaign was riddled with accusations of check-bouncing and mismanaging his own finances. Atkins founded the ADS Ventures, Incorporated., a consulting and lobbying firm in 1993.
He resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
He was elected a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1970 to 1971 (at the time, the youngest ever elected in Massachusetts) and the Massachusetts Senate from 1972 to 1984.