List of mayors of Fairbanks, Alaska facts for kids
This article tells you about the people who have served as mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska. It also lists the mayors of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, which is like a county that includes the city.
A mayor is the main leader of a city or town. They help make important decisions and lead the local government. Fairbanks is a city in the U.S. state of Alaska. It was started in 1901 and became an official town on November 10, 1903. Later, around 1950, it became known as a city. When Alaska became a state in 1959, Fairbanks citizens voted to have "home rule." This means they can make many of their own local laws.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough was created in 1963 and officially started on January 1, 1964. This borough includes Fairbanks and other nearby towns and villages. The main office for the borough is in Fairbanks.
Mayors of the City of Fairbanks
The way the city mayor was chosen has changed over time. At first, the mayor was picked from the city council members. Later, people voted for the mayor separately for a two-year term. However, the city was mostly run by a city manager, so the mayor was more of a leader without much power.
In 1992, the mayor's job changed again. The mayor became the main leader of the city government, serving a three-year term.
Nr. | Name | Term start | Term end |
---|---|---|---|
1 | E. T. Barnette | 1903 | 1906 |
2 | B.D. Mills | 1906 | 1907 |
3 | J. Barrack | 1907 | 1908 |
4 | Fred Carter | 1908 | 1909 |
5 | Joseph Smith | 1909 | 1909 |
6 | Mel Sabin | 1909 | 1910 |
7 | A.J. Nordale | 1910 | 1911 |
8 | F.S. Gordon | 1911 | 1912 |
9 | Dan Driscoll | 1912 | 1913 |
10 | E.C. Heacock | 1913 | 1913 |
11 | Murray C. Smith | 1913 | 1915 |
12 | Andrew Nerland | 1915 | 1916 |
13 | R.R. Meyers | 1916 | 1917 |
14 | G.M. Smith | 1917 | 1917 |
15 | Henry T. Ray | 1917 | 1918 |
16 | E.E. Suter | 1918 | 1919 |
17 | A.L. Wilbur | 1919 | 1921 |
18 | C.H. Woodward | 1921 | 1922 |
19 | R.W. Ferguson | 1922 | 1923 |
20 | Thomas A. Marquam | 1923 | 1925 |
21 | Dr. Frank De La Vergne | 1925 | 1931 |
22 | Jessie F. Bryant | 1931 | 1933 |
23 | Arnold Nordale | 1933 | 1934 |
24 | E. B. Collins | 1934 | 1938 |
25 | Arthur Leslie Nerland | 1938 | 1940 |
26 | William Growden | 1940 | 1943 |
27 | Howard G. Hughes | 1943 | 1945 |
28 | Alfeld Hjalmar Nordale | 1945 | 1948 |
29 | Ray Kohler | 1948 | 1949 |
30 | Maurice Johnson | 1949 | 1950 |
31 | Robert Hoopes | 1950 | 1952 |
32 | Ralph J. Rivers | 1952 | 1954 |
33 | Douglas Preston | 1954 | 1957 |
34 | Paul B. Haggland | 1957 | 1960 |
35 | Joseph M. Ribar | 1960 | 1962 |
36 | Darrell Brewington | 1962 | 1965 |
37 | Sylvia Ringstad | 1965 | 1966 |
38 | H. A. Boucher | 1966 | 1970 |
39 | Julian C. Rice | 1970 | 1972 |
40 | Harold Gillam | 1972 | 1978 |
41 | William Ransom Wood | 1978 | 1980 |
42 | Ruth E. Burnett | 1980 | 1982 |
43 | Bill Walley | 1982 | 1988 |
44 | James D. Nordale | 1988 | 1990 |
45 | Wayne S. Nelson | 1990 | 1992 |
46 | James C. Hayes | 1992 | 2001 |
47 | Steve M. Thompson | 2001 | 2007 |
48 | Terry Strle | 2007 | 2010 |
49 | Jerry Cleworth | 2010 | 2013 |
50 | John Eberhart | 2013 | 2016 |
51 | Jim Matherly | October 24, 2016 | October 24, 2022 |
52 | David Pruhs | October 24, 2022 | Present |
Mayors of the Fairbanks North Star Borough

The leader of the borough was first called a "chairman" instead of a "mayor." This changed in the mid-1970s. Around the same time, the term of office for this position changed from two years to three years. This job is not connected to any political party.
Nr. | Name | Term start | Term end |
---|---|---|---|
1 | John D. Schleppegrell | 1964 | 1966 |
2 | Harold Gillam | 1966 | 1968 |
3 | John A. Carlson | 1968 | 1982 |
4 | Bill Allen | 1982 | 1985 |
5 | Juanita Helms | 1985 | 1990 |
6 | Jim Sampson | 1990 | 1997 |
7 | Hank Hove | 1997 | 2000 |
8 | Rhonda Boyles (R) | 2000 | 2003 |
9 | Jim Whitaker (R) | 2003 | 2009 |
10 | Luke T. Hopkins (D) | 2009 | 2015 |
11 | Karl Kassel (I) | 2015 | 2018 |
12 | Bryce Ward (R) | 2018 | Present |