Bob Lanier (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Lanier
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| 58th Mayor of Houston | |
| In office January 2, 1992 – January 2, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Kathryn Whitmire |
| Succeeded by | Lee Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Clayton Lanier
March 10, 1925 Baytown, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | December 20, 2014 (aged 89) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Memorial Oaks Cemetery, Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Elizabeth Lanier, Elyse Lanier |
| Relations | Christopher Sarofim (son-in-law) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of Texas |
| Profession | Banker, lawyer, real estate developer |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Robert Clayton Lanier (born March 10, 1925 – died December 20, 2014) was an American businessman and politician. He was the mayor of Houston, Texas, from 1992 to 1998. When he passed away, he was the oldest living former mayor of Houston.
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Early Life and Career
Robert "Bob" Lanier was born in 1925 in Baytown, Texas. His parents were working-class people. He grew up during the Great Depression, a time when many people faced tough economic challenges. This experience shaped his views, and he was inspired by the policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Lanier worked hard while attending college. He graduated with top honors from the University of Texas Law School in 1949. He started his career as a lawyer at a firm called Baker & Botts. After about ten years, he decided to change paths and went into business.
In his business career, he worked in banking. Later, he became a very successful real estate developer in Houston. He focused on building new neighborhoods and apartment complexes.
Path to Politics
In 1983, the Governor of Texas, Mark White, asked Bob Lanier to join the Texas Highway Commission. This group was in charge of the state's roads. Lanier became the chairman and managed a huge budget of $2.5 billion. He oversaw the building, upkeep, and operation of Texas's highway system.
During this time, Lanier disagreed with a plan to build a monorail system in Houston. This plan was supported by Houston's Mayor Kathy Whitmire and METRO, the city's public transportation group.
In 1988, Mayor Whitmire appointed Lanier as chairman of METRO. This was part of a deal to try and find common ground. As chairman, Lanier believed that METRO staff were hiding information. He thought they were not showing studies that predicted low ridership for the rail system. He resigned in 1989 because he felt the mayor would not support his ideas about transportation.
Becoming Mayor of Houston
Bob Lanier wanted to see changes in Houston. He looked for someone to challenge Mayor Whitmire, who had been in office for five terms. Eventually, he decided to run for mayor himself.
In the 1991 election, Lanier ran against Mayor Whitmire. He promised to put more police officers on the streets. He also promised to stop the METRO rail plan. Instead, he wanted to use transportation money to fix roads and sidewalks. He won the election and became mayor.
Lanier was re-elected in 1993 and again in 1995. He could not run for mayor in 1997 because of term limits. These limits were put in place in 1991 and strengthened in 1994. People in Houston often called him "Mayor Bob."
What Mayor Lanier Believed In
As mayor, Bob Lanier focused on three main ideas:
- Houston should use its diverse population as a strength.
- His government needed to improve the city's infrastructure. This meant fixing roads, sidewalks, and other public services. He especially wanted to improve the inner city areas to be as good as the richer suburbs.
- Public safety, like having enough police, should be a top priority.
Key Achievements as Mayor
Mayor Lanier worked hard to turn his ideas into real projects. By the time he left office in 1997, he had achieved many things for Houston:
- Public Safety:
- Over 1,200 new police officers were hired.
- Major crimes in the city were reduced significantly.
- Housing and Support:
- Thousands of families received help with housing, including down payments for homes.
- Many multi-family and public housing units were built or approved.
- Beds for homeless people were created or approved.
- Thousands of homeless people and individuals with AIDS received assistance.
- Infrastructure Improvements:
- About 950 miles (1,529 km) of sidewalks were built or started.
- Plans were made for over 367 miles (591 km) of hike and bike trails.
- Water and sewer lines were extended to serve families without city services.
- Over 3,359 miles (5,406 km) of streets were repaved or started.
- More than 41,000 streetlights were installed.
- Over 25,000 streetlights were upgraded to better quality lighting.
- Hundreds of thousands of traffic signs were installed and maintained.
- Many traffic signals were upgraded.
- Over 2.6 million potholes were filled quickly.
- Over 104,000 miles (167,000 km) of public land were mowed.
- Thousands of dangerous abandoned buildings were torn down or secured.
- Roadside ditches were cleaned and regraded.
- Many lots were mowed to keep the city clean.
- Hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of trash were removed.
- Many miles of sewer lines were repaired or built.
- Many miles of water mains were replaced or started.
The Bob Lanier Public Works Building in Houston is named after him. This shows how important his work was for the city's infrastructure.
Lanier also received several awards for his work. The Texas NAACP gave him their Texas Hero award. He also received the Hubert Humphrey Civil Rights Award. His work in transportation and finance earned him other national awards.
In 2000, he received the Leadership Houston Distinguished Service Award. He was also honored for his work in urban beautification. In 2002, he was added to the Texas Transportation Institute's Hall of Honor. In 2007, he was inducted into the Houston Hall of Fame.
Bob Lanier was a founding member of Houston Community College. He continued to support the college throughout his life. As mayor, he also led the project to build the Hilton Americas – Houston. This was the city's first convention center hotel.
Even after leaving office, Lanier remained active. He managed his real estate properties, gave lectures, and oversaw public policy conferences at the University of Houston. He also participated in many community and political activities until his death.
Family Life
Bob Lanier and his wife, Elyse, lived in Houston. They had seven children and eleven grandchildren.
On December 20, 2014, Bob Lanier passed away in Houston, Texas, at the age of 89.
