Clifford DeBaptiste facts for kids

Clifford Evans DeBaptiste (born May 19, 1924) is an American politician. He also worked as a funeral director. He served as the mayor of West Chester, Pennsylvania, from 1994 to 2002. At that time, he was a member of the Republican Party. He was the first black mayor of the borough. Many people say he started making West Chester a better place to live and work. Mr. DeBaptiste has special degrees called honorary doctorates. These are from West Chester University and Lincoln University.

Early Life and Learning

Clifford DeBaptiste was born in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, in 1924. He grew up near Atlantic City, New Jersey. He joined the United States Army and served from 1951 to 1954. He reached the rank of sergeant major, which is a high rank for a soldier. Later, he earned a college degree in Science from West Chester University. He also got a Master's degree in Human Services from Lincoln University.

His Work and Business

Mr. DeBaptiste started working as a funeral director in West Chester in 1954. In January 1965, he opened his own business. It was called DeBaptiste Funeral Homes, Inc. At one point, his business had six locations. Today, it has two locations. One is in West Chester and the other is in Bryn Mawr.

Clifford DeBaptiste was also part of many local groups. He served on the Board of Trustees for West Chester University. He was also on the board of the First National Bank of West Chester. He even led the Pennsylvania Board of Funeral Directors.

His Time in Politics

Clifford DeBaptiste decided to enter politics in 1993. He announced he wanted to become mayor. The current mayor, Tom Chambers, was not running again. DeBaptiste got support from the local Republican group. He then became their chosen candidate. His opponent was Wayne Burton, a professor at West Chester University.

DeBaptiste promised to bring new businesses to West Chester. He also wanted to make the town look better. Many people were surprised when he won the election. He received 56 percent of the votes. His campaign spent a lot of money, which was a record at the time.

Clifford DeBaptiste became the first black mayor of West Chester. He said this fact was not important to him.

On April 24, 1994, Mayor DeBaptiste started "Clean up West Chester Day." This event helped make downtown West Chester look nicer. This special day is still held every year.

During his time as mayor, West Chester started to get more businesses. Some businesses that thought about leaving decided to stay. New businesses also chose to open in West Chester. This helped the town grow.

In 1997, Mayor DeBaptiste ran for reelection. No one ran against him, so he won easily.

In 1998, Mayor DeBaptiste made a big decision. He stopped a new town rule about landlords. This rule would have made property owners end leases for tenants who broke property rules often. Some people thought this was unfair. They said he had a conflict of interest because he owned rental properties himself.

Also in 1998, DeBaptiste announced "West Chester 200." This was a year-long event to celebrate the town's 200th birthday in 1999. During this celebration, West Chester had its first firework show since the American Revolution. The event also raised $400,000 for the town.

During his time, the town's police department faced some complaints. People said the police did not treat minority groups fairly. Because of these complaints, Mayor DeBaptiste created a special committee. This group worked on making sure everyone was treated with respect.

Mayor DeBaptiste was praised for getting different groups to work together. He helped the University, the town government, and the Chamber of Commerce cooperate. This teamwork helped West Chester grow.

When Mayor DeBaptiste left office, West Chester had many more restaurants. The number of restaurants had grown by 380%. Also, almost half of the West Chester Police Department had joined while he was mayor.

Richard "Dick" Yoder became the next mayor on January 7, 2002. He was also a Republican.

Later, DeBaptiste changed his political party. He became a Democrat during the time Obama was president.

His Impact and Awards

Clifford DeBaptiste is often remembered in a good way. Many people believe he started the process of making downtown West Chester a lively and successful place again.

In 1984, the West Chester Chamber of Commerce named him "Outstanding Citizen of the Year."

West Chester University gave him an honorary doctorate in 1999. This is a special degree given to honor someone's achievements.

A plaza at West Chester University is named after DeBaptiste. There is also a series of talks named after him.

A street in West Chester is called "Debaptiste Lane." It is named after the former mayor.

In 2022, Lincoln University also gave him an honorary doctorate.

On February 16, 2024, House of Representatives member Chrissy Houlahan gave a speech. She honored DeBaptiste on the House floor.

Clifford DeBaptiste celebrated his 100th birthday on May 19, 2024. Nearly one thousand people came to his party. Important guests included State Senator Carolyn Comitta and former State Senator Andy Dinniman. At the party, he was given the special title of "Mayor Emeritus." This means he is still honored as a mayor.

His Family Life

Clifford DeBaptiste was married to Inez E. Manning. They were married from 1950 until she passed away in 1990. DeBaptiste has three daughters. One of his daughters, Lillian L. DeBaptiste, later became the 62nd Mayor of West Chester.

He has been a member of the NAACP for his whole life. The NAACP is a civil rights organization. He is also a Prince Hall Mason. He is a Christian.