Hingham pupil, who was the youngest U.S. decide, thinks younger individuals shouldn’t be ignored

Henry Buckley’s favorite thing to watch on TV while growing up was “The Andy Griffith Show.” The main character, Andy Taylor, was the beloved sheriff in small town Mayberry, North Carolina, and also claimed the title of justice of the peace. 

Seeing how loved and impactful Taylor was in his community, Buckley found some inspiration.

“As a younger person, I wanted to take on a similar role in Hingham,” he said.

Buckley, now 17 and a rising senior at Hingham High School, became the youngest male judge in the United States in 2023 when he was elected justice of the peace, per the Guinness Book of World Records.

Buckley’s passion for politics and civil service started with his grandfather, a lawyer who engaged heavily in Massachusetts politics. He has volunteered at his local church, which he described as a “political powerhouse” in the town, whose members taught him a lot about the civic process.

“My focus in life has always been public service and helping other people,” he said. 

As a justice of the peace, a position he resigned from in February, Buckley said he officiated marriages, called town meetings, issued subpoenas, and supplied warrants. While in this role, he said he realized how much power a title can hold and how “you can use it to really influence and help people.”

The high schooler has held many positions within his town and beyond: a member of Hingham’s Board of Commission, an appointment to the Human Beautification Commission, and a transcriber for the National Archives.

In many of his other roles, he was also the youngest person by decades.

“Something that I’ve had to learn is that I am the youngest person at a lot of places,” Buckley said. “I like to think that I am very patient with people that underestimate me.”

Many people in his generation have been outspoken on a lot of issues, such as climate change, public service, and political reform, he said.

“I come from a generation that is concerned about things that not many others have … and because a lot of people my age are underestimated, it’s really stunted our generation’s capability to make change until we turn a certain age,” Buckley said.

Buckley is taking on a summer internship with state Rep. Joan Meschino, who represents Cohasset, Hingham, and Hull. After that, he will finish his final year of high school and plans to study law at a four-year university in Boston.

He said he believes many young people, like him, want to move at a fast pace and make change sooner, but they are underutilized because of older generations’ perceptions of them.

“Young people are valuable, and they provide very important insights and unique perspectives into the problems of our country and the world because of their age,” Buckley said. “They shouldn’t continue to be looked down on.”