List of mayors of Meridian, Mississippi

Last updated

Meridian City Hall houses the mayor's office. Meridian City Hall dedication after restoration.jpg
Meridian City Hall houses the mayor's office.

The mayor of Meridian, Mississippi is elected every four years by the population at large. Being the chief executive officer of the city, the mayor is responsible for administering and leading the day-to-day operations of city government. The current mayor of the city is Jimmie Smith, who was elected in 2021. [1]

Contents

City Hall is located at 601 24th Avenue; [2] the mayor's office is located on the second floor of the building. [3]

List of mayors

Nineteenth century

Mayor nameTermAccomplishments
J. H. Gibbs1859–1865Gibbs was elected mayor in 1859 before the city was even incorporated. Upon incorporation in 1860, he was elected again and continued to serve as mayor until the end of the American Civil War in July 1865. [4]
John Armstrong1865–1866In the decade after the Civil War, Meridian saw many mayoral changes; there were five different mayors in the year 1871 alone. William L. Sharkey, who had been appointed provisional governor of Mississippi after the war, appointed John Armstrong in July 1865. In December 1865 he was elected by the people and served for another year. R.L Henderson was elected in December 1866 and served until the following January, when the Radical Republicans gained control of Congress and the military appointed new state and local officials. William Cathey was named mayor and served until 1870.

William Sturges succeeded Cathey and served until 1871. The Meridian race riot of 1871 occurred during his administration and resulted in the townspeople running him out of the city in March. John W. Smith was appointed by governor James L. Alcorn in March and served until September when he was replaced by Grafton Baker. Baker died in October 1871 and was replaced by B.T. Rush, who served until December when he was replaced by W.P. Evans, who served until 1873. [4]

R.L Henderson1866–1867
William Cathey1867–1870
William Sturges1870–Mar 1871
John W. SmithMar–Sept 1871
Grafton BakerSept–Oct 1871
Benjamin T. RushOct–Dec 1871
W.P. Evans1871–1873
C. N. Wilcox1873–1874Wilcox was elected in January 1873 and was met by the Panic of 1873. Meridian's population dropped from 7000 to 3000, and property values dropped across the city. [4]
E.V. Early1874–1875
W. W. Shearer1875–1878Shearer was elected in December 1874 (He took office in January 1875) and reelected in 1876, but he died in April 1878. [4]
John Thomas Taylor1878–1882Taylor was elected to fill the remainder of Shearer's term and then reelected in December 1880 to a two-year term. He, too, died during his second term. During his administration, cotton production and shipping grew to become a substantial industry in the city. [4]
Thomas H. Griffin1882–1893Griffin was elected in a special election of 1892 after Taylor's death and then reelected and served over 10 years as mayor. His administration ushered in the city's "Golden Age"; business and industry saw great expansion, and many famous businesses such as F.A. Hulett and Son Furniture and Loeb's were founded during this time. [4]
Edwin H. Dial1893–1901 [5] During Dial's mayorship, the city installed updated infrastructure such as telephone lines, paved streets, and sidewalks. [6] Both the original Union Station and the historic Grand Opera House were built during his tenure as well. Dial is also attributed with coining the city's nickname, "The Queen City." [5]

A marker was unveiled at the mayor's former residence on the corner of 30th Avenue and 10th Street in June 2009. [6] The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 [7] but was later demolished because of its dilapidated condition and replaced by a Habitat for Humanity house. [6]

Twentieth century

Mayor nameTermAccomplishments
Enoch Ephraim Spinks1901–1903Spinks continued most of Dial's policies. He oversaw the paving of more streets, and an extension of sewage and electric street railway systems. Before he was mayor, he was a local dentist and served 12 years on the Meridian Public School District Board of Directors and 8 years in the City Council. [8]
James Henry Rivers1903–1909During Rivers's administration, the East End loop of the street car line was completed, and a committee that would eventually bring about the creation of Highland Park was established by the mayor. He also spoke out against employee neglect in the local cotton mills. [8]
John Woods Parker1909–1917During Parker's first administration, six new school buildings were built, and the remainder were enlarged or improved. City streets were expanded from 3 miles (4.8 km) of total length to 15 miles (24 km), and sidewalks were doubled. Meridian City Hall was completed, along with two Carnegie libraries, a jail, and stables. The Meridian Fire Department was upgraded to have a fleet of vehicles instead of horse-drawn buggies as well. [8]
John Milton Dabney1917–1921Dabney was mayor during World War I and served only one term. [8] His former residence at 1017 22nd Avenue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. [9]
John Woods Parker1921–1923Parker, who had served previously from 1909 to 1917 was elected again in 1921 and served only half a term before his death in 1923. [8]
William Henry Owen1923–1933Owen was elected in a special election after Parker's death. He had been councilman of the city's third ward from 1910 to 1913 and city commissioner from 1913 to 1920. The last four years of his administration were plagued by the Great Depression. Though he was well liked by his peers and the public, he was perceived by many as not being forceful enough to cope with the hard times brought about by the Depression, which lead to his defeat in the 1932 mayoral election. [8]
Clint Vinson1933–1945
Frank L. Jacobs1945–1949
Laurence B. Paine1949–1953
William Smylie1953–1957 [10] Smylie brought the 22nd Avenue Bridge (also known as the James Melton Bridge) to downtown Meridian. [10] This bridge circumvented twenty-six railroad tracks that passed through the center of the city, often stopping traffic on 22nd Avenue. [11]
James C. Downey, Jr.1957–1961
Henry D. Burns1961–1965 [12]
Algene Key 1965–1973 [13] Key, more widely known for breaking the world flight endurance record with his brother Fred in 1935, defeated incumbent Burns in the primaries and went on to win the election. [14] During his administration he took an active role in civic affairs [13] and had previously served as city and county director of civil defense. [14]
Tom Stuart 1973–1977 [15] Stuart was the city's first Republican mayor of the 20th century. In the 1973 election, he defeated Democratic incumbent Al Key by a landslide vote. As mayor he brought openness in government, street paving, and attempts to resolve downtown traffic problems. [15]
Alfred Rosenbaum1977–1985 [16] Rosenbaum was the city's first Jewish mayor. [17] Before he was mayor, he was instrumental in bringing Naval Air Station Meridian to the city. [18] During his administration, the National Guard complex at Key Field was expanded, and Meridian developed a military presence unrivaled in East Mississippi. [19]
Jimmy Kemp1985–1993 [20] Under Kemp's administration, the city developed nationally recognized recycling programs for household garbage and wastewater sludge. The city also adopted the Mississippi Main Street philosophy for downtown revitalization. A new public works complex, several city creek flood control projects, and the Bonita Lakes development program were put in place, and other infrastructure improvements were made. [20] To aid in downtown traffic flow, 22nd and 23rd avenues were converted to one-way streets. [21]

Twenty-first century

Mayor nameTermAccomplishments
John Robert Smith 1993–2009 [22] Smith oversaw many development and revitalization projects, particularly focused around downtown and inner-city neighborhoods. He helped renovate Union Station, promoted restoration of the historic Grand Opera House into the Riley Center, and spearheaded the development of a HOPE VI mixed-income housing project. [23] As mayor, Smith was known as a strong supporter of the arts. He promoted downtown development, including the construction of a parking garage in the city's Arts District to support the Riley Center and other downtown arts venues. [24] He also led the Meridian Green Initiative, a series of programs intended to support a healthy "green" environment for the city. [25]
Cheri Barry 2009–2013 [26] Barry was the city's first female mayor. [26] Upon her election, Barry worked to cancel an agreement with the city and Historic Restoration Inc. (HRI) made during the previous administration to renovate the Threefoot Building into a downtown hotel. [27]

Barry, with a campaign motto of "Back to Basics", [28] focused on the city's basic services, such as garbage collection, sewage treatment, and roads. [29] The renovation of Meridian City Hall, begun under the Smith administration, was completed while Barry was in office, [30] and a new police station was built as well, something Barry said was a "priority" for her administration. [31]

Percy Bland 2013–2021 [32] Bland won election on June 4, 2013, and took office on July 1. He was the city's first African-American mayor. Before he took office, Bland formed a 29-member transition team from the community to study five issues - education, community development, public safety, infrastructure, and city partnerships - and make recommendations about how to improve those areas in Meridian. Under Bland’s leadership, a proposed livable wage policy was passed, and new programs were launched to help fight crime in the city. The Parks and Recreation Department brought more mentors, coaches, and churches as partners for the City of Meridian to work with youth through athletics. In 2014, Bland built a team to bring a new airline carrier to Meridian. American Airlines the largest airline carrier in the world brought their service to Meridian under the name of American Eagle brand. During this time Bland began a mayor’s initiative to raise awareness of school attendance and the dangers of dropping out of school. He launched his Kids Zone Initiative, a program that partnered the City of Meridian with city and county schools, local and private to strengthen families.

During his second term, Bland continued building and improving infrastructure in Meridian. He promoted businesses whose purpose was to improve the quality of life for all citizens, especially youth. His administration paved more than 28 miles of streets in the inner city during the last four years in office. He started the LED lighting initiative in which LED lights were installed in neighborhoods throughout the City of Meridian with a strong partnership with Mississippi Power. In April 2021, he helped purchase the Meridian Police Department Headquarters from a group of private investors with the city having a 41-year lease agreement. This reduced the re-payment on the building by 11 years and saved taxpayers $11 million. Bland helped engage the city and community to get buy-in on the MAX (Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience) and the Meridian Mississippi. Children’s Museum. He also worked with a developer to revitalize the Three-foot Building into a new state-of-the-art Marriott Hotel and Roof Top Bar and Restaurant that overlooks the city. New businesses began to open in downtown Meridian during his tenure. [32]

Jimmie Smith 2021– [33] Smith defeated incumbent Percy Bland in the Democratic runoff and won the June 8 mayoral election. [33] 2nd African-American mayor.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin County, Alabama</span> County in Alabama, United States

Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,113. Its county seat is Russellville. Its name is in honor of Benjamin Franklin, famous statesman, scientist, and printer. It is a dry county, although the city of Russellville is wet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meridian, Mississippi</span> City in Mississippi, United States

Meridian is the eighth most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 35,052 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. Along major highways, the city is 93 mi (150 km) east of Jackson; 154 mi (248 km) southwest of Birmingham, Alabama; 202 mi (325 km) northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana; and 231 mi (372 km) southeast of Memphis, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus, Mississippi</span> City in Mississippi, United States

Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, on the eastern border of Mississippi, United States, located primarily east, but also north and northeast of the Tombigbee River, which is also part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. It is approximately 146 miles (235 km) northeast of Jackson, 92 miles (148 km) north of Meridian, 63 miles (101 km) south of Tupelo, 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and 120 miles (193 km) west of Birmingham, Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTOK-TV</span> ABC/MyNetworkTV/CW affiliate in Meridian, Mississippi

WTOK-TV is a television station in Meridian, Mississippi, United States, affiliated with ABC, MyNetworkTV and The CW Plus. The station is owned by Gray Television, and maintains studios on 23rd Avenue in Meridian's Mid-Town section; its transmitter is located on Crestview Circle in unincorporated Lauderdale County, south of the city.

Miss Mississippi is a scholarship pageant and a preliminary of Miss America. The contest began in 1934, has been held in Vicksburg since 1958, and provides more money than any other scholarship pageant in the Miss America Organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Threefoot Building</span> United States historic place

The Threefoot Building is a historic office building located in downtown Meridian, Mississippi named after the Threefoot family who owned and operated a business in downtown Meridian during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Designed by Claude H. Lindsley and completed in 1929 in the Art Deco style, the 16-story building is still the tallest in the city. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1979, under the Meridian Multiple Property Submission of buildings contributing to the historic nature of the city's downtown. In 2008 the Threefoot was recognized by the state as a Mississippi Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Meridian, Mississippi</span>

The history of Meridian, Mississippi begins in the early 19th century before European-American settlement. Originally settled by the Choctaw Indians, the land was bought by the United States according to the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830. The city grew around the intersection of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Southern Railway of Mississippi and developed a largely rail-based economy. Although much of the city was burned down in the Battle of Meridian during the American Civil War, the city was rebuilt and entered a "Golden Age." Between about 1890 and 1930, the city was the largest in Mississippi and a leading center for manufacturing in the Southern United States. After the decline of the railroading industry in the 1950s, the city's economy was devastated, resulting in a slow population decline. The population has continued to decline as the city has struggled to create a new, more modern economy based on newer industries. In the past 20 years or so, Meridian has attempted to revitalize the city's economy by attracting more business and industry to the city, most specifically the downtown area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheri Barry</span> American politician (died 2023)

Cheryl Merritt Barry was an American politician who served as mayor of Meridian, Mississippi. She was the first woman to hold that position.

John Robert Smith served four terms as mayor of Meridian, Mississippi and formerly serves as the President and CEO of Reconnecting America, a national non-profit transit research and advocacy think-tank. Senior policy adviser at Smart Growth America and chairman of Transportation for America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uptown Meridian</span> Shopping mall in Mississippi, United States

Uptown Meridian is an enclosed shopping mall located in Meridian, Mississippi, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation Beth Israel (Meridian, Mississippi)</span> Reform Jewish congregation in Mississippi, US

Congregation Beth Israel is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Meridian, Mississippi, in the United States. Founded in 1868 and a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, the congregation's first permanent house of worship was a Middle Eastern-style building constructed in 1879. The congregation moved to another building built in the Greek Revival style in 1906, and in 1964 moved to a more modern building, out of which they still operate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meridian City Hall</span> United States historic place

City Hall in Meridian, Mississippi in the United States is located at 601 24th Avenue. Originally designed by architect P.J. Krouse in 1915, the building underwent several renovations during the 1950s that diminished the historic quality of the building. City Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and as a Mississippi Landmark in 1988. After complaints of a faulty HVAC system, the building underwent a restoration to its original 1915 appearance beginning in September 2006. The project was originally estimated to cost $7–8 million and last two years. Because of several factors including the building's listings on historic registers, a lawsuit filed by a subcontractor, and unforeseen structural problems, the final cost and duration of the renovation far exceeded original estimates. The renovation was completed in January 2012 at a total cost projected to reach around $25 million after interest on debt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weidmann's Restaurant</span> United States historic place

Weidmann's Restaurant is a historic restaurant in Meridian, Mississippi, United States, established in 1870. It was originally listed as a contributing property to the Meridian Urban Center Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The Urban Center Historic District was combined with the Meridian Depot Historic District in 2005 to become the Meridian Downtown Historic District.

Will Hall is an American football coach who is currently the head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi. Hall served as the head football coach at the University of West Alabama from 2011 to 2013 and at the University of West Georgia 2014 to 2016. He also served as offensive coordinator for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2017. He grew up in Mississippi and attended the University of North Alabama where he played quarterback from 2002 to 2003. He won the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2003. He began his coaching career in 2004 and held assistant coaching positions at Presbyterian, Henderson State, Southwest Baptist, Arkansas-Monticello and West Alabama.

The numerous historic hotels in Meridian, Mississippi, provide insights into the city's growth and expansion, both in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and into the modern age. Many hotels were built in downtown Meridian in the early 1900s to provide lodging for passengers of the railroad, which was essential to the city's growth at the turn of the 20th century. Two of these historic hotels–the Union Hotel, built in 1910, and the Lamar Hotel, built in 1927–have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percy Bland</span> American politician

Percy Bland is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the mayor of Meridian, Mississippi from 2013 to 2021. Bland was the first African American Mayor of Meridian MS and is known for the transformation of Downtown Meridian.

Hannah Camille Roberts is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Mount Olive, Mississippi. She was named the Distinguished Young Woman of Mississippi in 2011 and crowned Miss Mississippi 2015. Roberts competed for the Miss America 2016 title on September 13, 2015, and was named first runner-up.

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss Teen USA, see Miss Mississippi Teen USA

Jimmie Smith is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who has served as the mayor of Meridian, Mississippi since 2021. Previously, he served 20 years on the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors.

Kelly Mitchell, Queen of the Gypsy Nation was an American woman who was celebrated as a leader of the Romani people in the US state of Mississippi. Her grave continues to be visited by thousands of people each year, and is one of the most important landmarks in Meridian.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Meridian, MS - About the Mayor". Official Website of Meridian, MeridianMS.org. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
  2. ↑ Jennifer Jacob Brown (March 17, 2010). "Last Phase of City Hall Renovations on Schedule". The Meridian Star . Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  3. ↑ Jennifer Jacob (June 24, 2008). "Rebuilding a Legacy: Inside the Renovation of City Hall". The Meridian Star . Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jack Shank (1985). "Part 2, Chapter 1: 19th Century Mayors". Meridian: The Queen with a Past. Vol. I. Meridian, Mississippi: Brown Printing Company. pp. 62–65. ISBN   0-9616123-1-2.
  5. 1 2 Lindsey Key (June 24, 2009). "Dial Marker". The Meridian Star . Retrieved 2010-07-25.
  6. 1 2 3 Sheila McLain (June 24, 2009). "Dial House Marker Unveiled". Meridian, Mississippi: WTOK-TV . Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  7. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jack Shank (1986). "Chapter 32: 20th Century Mayors, 1900–1932". Meridian: The Queen with a Past. Vol. II. Meridian, Mississippi: Southeastern Printing Company. pp. 145–147. ISBN   0-9616123-2-0.
  9. ↑ Jody Cook (1979). "NRHP Inventory/Nomination: Dabney-Green House".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. 1 2 Lindsey Brown (June 25, 2009). "22nd Avenue Bridge to Soon Close". WTOK-TV . Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  11. ↑ "Community Information – History". MeridianMS.org, official website of Meridian, Mississippi. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  12. ↑ Ida Brown (May 7, 2007). "Businessmen, family remember Henry D. Burns Sr". The Meridian Star . Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  13. 1 2 "Aviation pioneer dies". Rome News-Tribune . July 18, 1976. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 2010-07-22. Source actually says 1666–1974, but those don't line up with 4-years terms and other administrations. This is probably because the paper was citing dates on which he took/left office, when all other dates on the page are election dates.
  14. 1 2 "Key Becomes Mayor on Anniversary of His Record Flight". Ocala Start-Banner. July 1, 1965. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  15. 1 2 Sheila Blackmon (November 19, 2001). "Tom Stuart, former mayor, dies". The Franklin County Times. Russellville, Alabama . Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  16. ↑ "Former Meridian mayor to celebrate 90th birthday". The Meridian Star . March 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  17. ↑ Sela Ward (2003). Homesick: A Memoir. HarperCollins. p. 100. ISBN   0-06-098907-6.
  18. ↑ Georgia E. Frye (July 14, 2006). "NAS Meridian celebrates 45th birthday". The Meridian Star . Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  19. ↑ Brian Livingston (March 18, 2012). "The passing of a legend". The Meridian Star . Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  20. 1 2 "Former Meridian mayor named to National EPA Committee". The Franklin County Times. Russellville, Alabama. July 19, 2004. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  21. ↑ "Parking, two-way streets under discussion". The Franklin County Times. Russellville, Alabama. March 14, 2002. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  22. ↑ "John Robert Smith to head non-profit". The Meridian Star . July 31, 2009. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  23. ↑ "John Robert Smith Named Reconnecting America President And CEO". ReconnectingAmerica. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  24. ↑ "News: Awards for Arts Achievement". United States: Americans for the Arts. 2005. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  25. ↑ Jocelyn Bogen (June 29, 2009). "Charleston (SC), Chapel Hill (NC) Named Most Livable Cities". United States Conference of Mayors . Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  26. 1 2 Jennifer Jacob Brown (June 3, 2009). "Barry ready to take office". The Meridian Star . Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  27. ↑ Jennifer Jacob Brown (June 27, 2010). "Threefoot Building: Part 1 'Looking at All Our Options'". Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  28. ↑ Sheena Adams-Avery (June 5, 2009). "Cheri Barry Meridian's first woman mayor". The Impact. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  29. ↑ Terri Ferguson Smith (February 20, 2013). "Seeking Second Term: Governor endorses Mayor Cheri Barry". The Meridian Star. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  30. ↑ Ida Brown (February 1, 2012). "Doors of newly renovated city hall opened to the public". The Meridian Star. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  31. ↑ Brian Livingston (May 24, 2013). "Large crowd attends police station ribbon cutting". Meridian Star. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  32. 1 2 Emily Lane (June 4, 2013). "Percy Bland makes history with victory in Meridian mayoral race". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
  33. 1 2 Snabes, Anna (8 June 2021). "Jimmie Smith wins mayor's race in Meridian". Meridian Star. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.