List of mayors of Detroit facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City of Detroit
Flag of the City of Detroit
Seal of the City of Detroit
Incumbent Mike Duggan since January 1, 2014
Residence	Manoogian Mansion
Term length	Four years
Constituting instrument	Detroit City Charter
Formation	1824
First holder	John R. Williams
Website	Mayor's Office

This article lists the mayors of Detroit, a major city in Michigan, United States. The current mayor is Mike Duggan, who started his term on January 1, 2014.

How Detroit's Leaders Changed Over Time
First Mayors (1806 Charter)
Mayors Under the 1824 Charter
Mayors in Non-Partisan Elections
See also

How Detroit's Leaders Changed Over Time

In its early days, Detroit was a military outpost. French and then British military leaders were in charge. After American forces took over, civil leaders became more important. The city was led by appointed officials, elected boards, and later, elected mayors. There was a short period from 1806 to 1809 when the mayor's job was mostly for show.

Detroit's current system, where the mayor has a lot of power, began with the city's charter in 1824. From 1824 to 1857, mayors were elected for one-year terms. From 1858 to 1953, terms were two years. After 1953, mayoral terms became four years long.

Early French and British Leaders

In Detroit's first years, French and British military commanders were in charge. Here are some of the French commanders:

Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac (1701–1710)
François de la Forêt [fr] (1710–1714)
Jacques-Charles Renaud Dubuisson (1714)
Pierre Alphonse de Tonty (1717–1727)
Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Ours Deschaillons [fr] (1728–1729)
Louis Henry Deschamps [fr], Sieur de Boishebert (1730–1733)
Jacques-Hugues Péan de Livaudière [fr] (1733–1736)
Pierre-Jacques Payen de Noyan [fr], Sieur de Charvis (1739–1742)
Pierre Joseph Celoron (1742–1744)
Paul Joseph le Moyne, Chevalier de Longueuil (1744–1748)
Pierre Joseph Celoron (second term, 1750–1754)
Jacques-Pierre Daneau de Muy [fr] (1754–1758)
Francois Marie Picote, Sieur de Belestre (1758–1760)

Seventeen British commanders led Detroit between 1760 and 1796.

Major Robert Rogers (1760)
Captain Donald Campbell (1760–1762)
Major Henry Gladwin (1762–1764)
Colonel John Bradstreet (1764)
Lieutenant-Colonel John Campbell (1765–1766)
George Turnbull (1766–1769)
Captain James Stephenson (1770–1772)
Captain George Etherington (1772)
Major Henry Bassett (1772–1774)
Captain Richard Beringer Lernoult (1774–1779)
Colonel Arent Schuyler de Peyster (1779–1784)
Major William Ancrum (1785–1786)
Thomas Bennett (1786)
Captain Robert Matthews (1787–1788)
Major Patrick Murray (1788–1790)
Major John Smith (1790–1792)
Colonel Richard England (1792–1796)

Early American Leadership

When Detroit became part of the United States in 1796, Colonel Jean François Hamtramck became its commander until 1803.

Detroit was officially made a town in 1802. It was governed by a board of trustees. The chairman of this board was the top leader. James Henry was the first chairman in 1802. Other chairmen included:

James Henry (1802–1803)
James May (1803–1804)
Solomon Sibley (1804–1805)
Joseph Wilkinson (elected 1805)

The 1806 Charter and Mayors

In 1805, a huge fire destroyed Detroit. The government was restarted in 1806 with an appointed mayor. However, this job had little power. Solomon Sibley and Elijah Brush both resigned quickly because of this. The mayoral position was removed in 1809. Detroit had no mayor or board until after the War of 1812.

Second Board of Trustees

After the War of 1812, a new law in 1815 gave political control back to Detroit's citizens through a Board of Trustees. These trustees were elected every year. Solomon Sibley was elected the first chair in October 1815. Other chairs included:

Solomon Sibley (1815–1816)
George McDougall (1816–1817)
Abraham Edwards (1817–1818)
John R. Williams (1818–1819)
James McCloskey (1819–1820)
James Abbott (1820–1821)
Andrew G. Whitney (1821–1822; 1822–1823)
James Abbott (second term, 1823–1824)

The 1824 Charter and Elected Mayors

In 1824, John R. Williams created a new city charter. For the first time, this charter allowed citizens to directly elect the mayor, who would have much more power. After the state approved it, Williams became Detroit's first elected mayor.

Non-Partisan Elections Since 1918

In June 1918, Detroit adopted its first "home-rule" city charter. This new charter made all city offices, including mayor, non-partisan. This means that candidates do not run as members of a political party, and their party is not listed on the ballot. This rule has stayed the same through all later city charter changes.

Because of this, all mayoral elections in Detroit since 1918 have been non-partisan. Mayors officially serve without a political party. Any party listed for mayors after 1918 is based on what historians believe about their political leanings, not an official party membership.

The Mayor's Official Home

Since 1966, the official home for the Mayor of Detroit has been the Manoogian Mansion. It is located on Dwight Street, facing the Detroit River. The mansion was given to the city by Alex Manoogian, who founded the Masco Corporation.

First Mayors (1806 Charter)

Two mayors served under the 1806 charter.

#	Name		Term	Party	Notes
1	Solomon Sibley	Solomon Sibley	1806	Democratic	Solomon Sibley helped write Detroit's first city charter. He resigned as mayor because the job had little power.
2	Elijah Brush	Elijah Brush	1806		Elijah Brush was appointed mayor after Sibley. He also resigned quickly because the position had little power.

Mayors Under the 1824 Charter

The following mayors served under the stronger mayoral system that began with the 1824 charter:

#	Mayor		Term	Party	Notes
1	Mayor Williams	John R. Williams	1824–1825	Democratic	John R. Williams wrote the City Charter and was Detroit's first elected mayor. He served multiple terms.
2	Henry Jackson Hunt	Henry Jackson Hunt	1826	Democratic	Henry Jackson Hunt was a successful merchant. He died while in office in September 1826.
3	Jonathan Kearsley	Jonathan Kearsley	1826	Democratic	Jonathan Kearsley served in the War of 1812. He was mayor twice, once appointed and once elected.
4	Mayor Biddle	John Biddle	1827–1828	Whig	John Biddle was active in Detroit politics and civic life. He later served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
5	Jonathan Kearsley	Jonathan Kearsley	1829	Democratic	(See above)
6	Mayor Williams	John R. Williams	1830	Democratic	(See above)
7	Marshall Chapin	Marshall Chapin	1831	Whig	Marshall Chapin was a medical doctor and opened Detroit's first drugstore. He served as mayor twice.
8	Levi Cook	Levi Cook	1832	Whig	Levi Cook held many government positions in Detroit and Michigan, including mayor multiple times.
9	Marshall Chapin	Marshall Chapin	1833	Whig	(See above)
10	Mayor Trowbridge	Charles Christopher Trowbridge	1834	Whig	Trowbridge served as mayor briefly during a cholera epidemic. He was also a private secretary to Governor Lewis Cass.
11	Andrew Mack	Andrew Mack	1834	Democratic	Andrew Mack won a special election to become mayor after the previous mayor resigned during a cholera epidemic.
12	Levi Cook	Levi Cook	1835–1836	Whig	(See above)
13	Henry Howard	Henry Howard	1837	Democratic	Henry Howard managed a lumber business in Detroit. He served one term as mayor and was also state treasurer.
14	Mayor Porter	Augustus Seymour Porter	1838 – March 14, 1839	Whig	Augustus Porter practiced law in Detroit. He resigned as mayor to become a United States Senator for Michigan.
15	Asher B. Bates	Asher B. Bates	March 15, 1839 – April 18, 1839	Whig	Asher Bates was acting mayor for a short time after Porter resigned.
16	De Garmo Jones	De Garmo Jones	1839	Whig	De Garmo Jones was involved in many businesses, including the Michigan Central Railroad. He also served as a state senator.
17	Mayor Pitcher	Zina Pitcher	1840–1841	Whig	Zina Pitcher was a medical doctor and served three terms as mayor. He helped establish the medical school at the University of Michigan.
18	Mayor Houghton	Douglass Houghton	1842	Democratic	Douglass Houghton was Michigan's state geologist and a professor. He died in a storm on Lake Superior.
19	Mayor Pitcher	Zina Pitcher	1843	Whig	(See above)
20	Mayor Williams	John R. Williams	1844–1846	Democratic	(See above)
21	James A. Van Dyke	James A. Van Dyke	1847	Whig	James A. Van Dyke was a lawyer and served as mayor. He was also important in the early organization of the Detroit Fire Department.
22	Mayor Buhl	Frederick Buhl	1848	Whig	Frederick Buhl had a successful business in hats and furs. He also served on the city council and was a bank director.
23	Charles Howard	Charles Howard	1849	Whig	Charles Howard was involved in shipping and railroad construction. He was also president of two banks.
24	John Ladue	John Ladue	1850	Democratic	John Ladue was a popular businessman who manufactured leather. He was elected mayor in 1850.
25	Mayor Chandler	Zachariah Chandler	1851	Whig	After being mayor, Zachariah Chandler served 18 years in the United States Senate.
26	John H. Harmon	John H. Harmon	1852–1853	Democratic	John Harmon purchased the Detroit Free Press newspaper. He served as an alderman and two years as mayor.
27	Oliver Moulton Hyde	Oliver Moulton Hyde	1854	Whig	Oliver Moulton Hyde owned a hardware store and later a foundry. He served as mayor multiple times.
28	Mayor Ledyard	Henry Ledyard	1855	Democratic	Henry Ledyard was the son of a prominent New York lawyer. He served as mayor and later as a state senator.
29	Oliver Moulton Hyde	Oliver Moulton Hyde	1856–1857	Whig	(See above)
30	John Patton	John Patton	1858–1859	Democratic	John Patton was a carriagemaker from Ireland. He held many city positions, including mayor and sheriff.
31	Mayor Buhl	Christian H. Buhl	1860–1861	Republican	Christian H. Buhl was a successful businessman in furs and hardware. He also helped organize several companies.
32	William C. Duncan	William C. Duncan	1862–1863	Democratic	William C. Duncan was a brewer who became popular in Detroit. He served as alderman, mayor, and state senator.
33	Kirkland C. Barker	Kirkland C. Barker	1864–1865	Democratic	Kirkland C. Barker had a successful tobacco business. He was also an avid outdoorsman.
34	Mayor Mills	Merrill I. Mills	1866–1867	Democratic	Merrill I. Mills started a general store in Detroit and later traded in furs and tobacco.
35	William W. Wheaton	William W. Wheaton	1868–1871	Democratic	William W. Wheaton built a successful wholesale grocery business. He was elected mayor in 1868.
36	Hugh Moffat	Hugh Moffat	1872–1875	Republican	Hugh Moffat was a carpenter who built a successful lumber business. He was known as "Honest Hugh Moffat."
37	Alexander Lewis	Alexander Lewis	1876–1877	Democratic	Alexander Lewis started his own forwarding business. He also served as Police Commissioner.
38	George C. Langdon	George C. Langdon	1878–1879	Democratic	George C. Langdon made a fortune in brewing. He served as mayor for one term.
39	William G. Thompson	William G. Thompson	1880–1883	Republican	William G. Thompson was a Republican mayor who later became a Democrat. He also served as a state senator.
40	Stephen Benedict Grummond	Stephen Benedict Grummond	1884–1885	Republican	Stephen Benedict Grummond made his fortune in the shipping industry. He served one term as mayor.
41	Marvin H. Chamberlain	Marvin H. Chamberlain	1886–1887	Democratic	Marvin H. Chamberlain was a wholesale liquor distributor. He served as president of the Detroit City Council.
42	John Pridgeon Jr.	John Pridgeon Jr.	1888–1889	Democratic	John Pridgeon Jr. joined his father's shipping business. He was elected mayor in 1887.
43	Mayor Pingree	Hazen S. Pingree	1890–1897	Republican	Hazen Pingree was a Civil War veteran and shoe factory owner. He was elected mayor four times and later Governor of Michigan.
44	William Richert	William Richert	March 22, 1897 – April 5, 1897	Republican	William Richert served as acting mayor for a short time after Pingree resigned.
45	Mayor Maybury	William C. Maybury	1897–1904	Democratic	William C. Maybury was a city attorney and served in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected mayor multiple times.
46	George P. Codd	George P. Codd	1905–1906	Republican	George P. Codd was a lawyer and served as mayor. He was also a regent of the University of Michigan.
47	William Barlum Thompson	William Barlum Thompson	1907–1908	Democratic	William Barlum Thompson served as an alderman and was elected mayor for two terms.
48	Philip Breitmeyer	Philip Breitmeyer	1909–1910	Republican	Philip Breitmeyer joined his family's florist business and became its sole owner. He was elected mayor for one term.
49	William Barlum Thompson	William Barlum Thompson	1911–1912	Democratic	(See above)
50	Oscar Marx	Oscar Marx	1913–1918	Republican	Oscar Marx turned a bankrupt optical firm into a large company. He served three terms as Detroit's mayor.

Mayors in Non-Partisan Elections

A new city charter began in 1918, making all city offices non-partisan. The mayors below were elected without official party labels on the ballot. The party affiliations shown are based on their personal and political history, not official status.

#	Mayor		Term	Party	Notes
51	Mayor Couzens	James J. Couzens	1919–1922	Republican	James J. Couzens was an early investor in the Ford Motor Company. He resigned as mayor to become a United States Senator.
52	John C. Lodge	John C. Lodge	December 5, 1922 – April 9, 1923	Republican	John C. Lodge served on the Detroit City Council for over 30 years. He was acting mayor twice and later elected mayor.
53	Frank Ellsworth Doremus	Frank Ellsworth Doremus	April 9, 1923 – June 10, 1924	Democratic	Frank Ellsworth Doremus was a newspaperman and lawyer. He resigned as mayor due to health reasons.
54	Joseph A. Martin	Joseph A. Martin	June 10, 1924 – August 2, 1924	Republican	Joseph A. Martin was Commissioner of Public Works. He served as acting mayor briefly.
55	John C. Lodge	John C. Lodge	August 2, 1924 – November 21, 1924	Republican	(See above)
56	John W. Smith	John W. Smith	November 21, 1924 – January 9, 1928	Republican	John W. Smith was appointed postmaster of Detroit before becoming mayor. He later served on the City Council.
57	John C. Lodge	John C. Lodge	January 10, 1928 – January 14, 1930	Republican	(See above)
58	Charles Bowles	Charles Bowles	January 14, 1930 – September 22, 1930	Republican	Charles Bowles was elected mayor in 1929. He was removed from office by a special recall election.
59	Mayor Murphy	Frank Murphy	September 23, 1930 – May 10, 1933	Democratic	Frank Murphy was a judge before becoming mayor. He later served as Governor of Michigan and a Supreme Court Justice.
60	Frank Couzens	Frank Couzens	May 10, 1933 – September 8, 1933	Republican	Frank Couzens was the son of former mayor James J. Couzens. He became acting mayor when Frank Murphy resigned.
61	John W. Smith	John W. Smith	September 8, 1933 – January 2, 1934	Republican	(See above)
62	Frank Couzens	Frank Couzens	January 2, 1934 – January 3, 1938	Republican	(See above)
63	Richard Reading	Richard Reading	January 4, 1938 – January 1, 1940	Republican	Richard Reading was City Clerk before becoming mayor. He was later convicted of accepting bribes.
64	Edward Jeffries	Edward Jeffries	January 2, 1940 – January 5, 1948	Republican	Edward Jeffries served four terms as mayor. He was also president of the Detroit City Council.
65	Eugene Van Antwerp	Eugene Van Antwerp	January 6, 1948 – January 2, 1950	Democratic	Eugene Van Antwerp was a civil engineer and served in the Detroit City Council before becoming mayor.
66	Albert Cobo	Albert Cobo	January 3, 1950 – September 12, 1957	Republican	Albert Cobo served seven terms as city treasurer before becoming mayor. He died in office.
67	Louis Miriani	Louis Miriani	September 12, 1957 – January 2, 1962	Republican	Louis Miriani was council president before becoming acting mayor. He was later elected mayor.
68	Jerome Cavanagh	Jerome Cavanagh	January 2, 1962 – January 5, 1970	Democratic	Jerome Cavanagh was a popular mayor who appointed a reformer police chief. His reputation was affected by the 1967 riots.
69	Roman Gribbs	Roman Gribbs	January 6, 1970 – January 1, 1974	Democratic	Roman Gribbs served as a prosecutor and sheriff before becoming mayor. He later became a circuit court judge.
70	Mayor Young	Coleman Young	January 1, 1974 – January 3, 1994	Democratic	Coleman Young was Detroit's first African-American mayor. He served a record five terms, becoming the longest-serving mayor.
71	Mayor Archer	Dennis Archer	January 3, 1994 – December 31, 2001	Democratic	Dennis Archer was a law professor and a Michigan Supreme Court Justice. He served two terms as mayor.
72	Mayor Kilpatrick	Kwame Kilpatrick	January 1, 2002 – September 18, 2008	Democratic	Kwame Kilpatrick was twice elected mayor. He resigned from office in 2008.
73	Mayor Cockrel	Kenneth Cockrel Jr.	September 18, 2008 – May 11, 2009	Democratic.	Kenneth Cockrel Jr. was elected council president and became mayor after Kwame Kilpatrick's resignation.
74	Mayor Bing	Dave Bing	May 11, 2009 – December 31, 2013	Democratic	Dave Bing was a famous basketball player before starting a manufacturing business. He was elected mayor in 2009.
75	Mayor-elect Duggan	Mike Duggan	January 1, 2014 – present	Democratic	Mike Duggan was CEO of the Detroit Medical Center. He became mayor after a successful write-in campaign.