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List of mayors of Holyoke, Massachusetts facts for kids

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Mayor of Holyoke
Seal of Holyoke, Massachusetts.svg
Seal of Holyoke
Mayor Joshua A. Garcia at groundbreaking of new Holyoke Soldiers' Home (Veterans' Home In Holyoke).jpg
Incumbent
Joshua A. Garcia

since November 15, 2021
Seat Holyoke City Hall
Term length 4 years (2015-present)
2 years (1936-2015)
1 year (1874-1936)
Formation 1874
First holder William B. C. Pearsons
Website Official website: https://www.holyoke.org/departments/mayors-office%7C

The mayor of Holyoke is the head of the executive branch of the municipal government of Holyoke, Massachusetts responsible for presenting an initial budget to the city council, and appointing key office holders such as the chief of police and fire commissioners.

Although members of both major parties have successfully run for office since the city's incorporation, elections for municipal positions are officially nonpartisan, on the ballot candidates do not run as members of any political party, nor require backing of one in any official capacity.

When Holyoke was incorporated as a city, initially the mayoral term given in the 1874 charter was for the mayor to serve a single-year term, being elected at the end of the municipal year. This was subsequently raised to two years during the mayoralty of William P. Yoerg in 1936, and from two to four years during that of Alex B. Morse in 2015. Mayoral primaries, in which the two candidates receiving the most votes went on to run in the election, began in 1959. Oftentimes mayoral administrations and mayors themselves are referred to interchangeably with the office space that each has occupied since the city's incorporation, "Room One".

Since Holyoke's establishment as a City in 1873, the following individuals have served as its mayor.

CroninWPearsonsSon
Mayor John Cronin shakes hands with George Pearsons, son of the City's first mayor William B. C. Pearsons, during a celebration of the City's fiftieth anniversary.
# Mayor Picture Term Notes
1st William B. C. Pearsons William B. C. Pearsons.png 1874-1876
2nd Roswell P. Crafts RPCraft.png 1877
3rd William Whiting II William Whiting II, 1873.jpg 1878-1879
4th William Ruddy William Ruddy (Holyoke mayor).png 1880
5th Franklin P. Goodall Franklin P. Goodall.png 1881
6th Roswell P. Crafts RPCraft.png 1882-1883
7th James E. Delaney James E Delaney.jpg 1884-1885
8th James J. O'Connor James J. O'Connor.png 1886-1887
9th James E. Delaney James E Delaney.jpg 1888
10th Jeremiah F. Sullivan Jeremiah F. Sullivan.png 1889-1890
11th Michael J. Griffin Michael J. Griffin.png 1891
12th Jeremiah F. Sullivan Jeremiah F. Sullivan.png 1892
13th Dennie L. Farr DennieLFarr Holyoke.png 1893
14th Marciene H. Whitcomb MHWhitcomb (cropped).jpg 1894
15th Henry A. Chase Henry A. Chase.png 1895
16th James J. Curran James J. Curran.png 1896
17th George H. Smith George H. Smith.png 1897
18th Michael Connors MyrMichaelConors.png 1898
19th Arthur B. Chapin Arthur Chapin.png 1899–1904
20th Nathan P. Avery Nathan P. Avery.png 1904–1910
21st John J. White JohnJWhite.png 1911–1913
22nd John H. Woods JohnHWoods Holyoke.png 1914–1915
23rd John J. White JohnJWhite.png 1916–1917
24th John D. Ryan 1915 John Ryan Massachusetts House of Representatives.png 1918–1919
25th John F. Cronin JohnFCronin.png 1920–1925
26th Gregory J. Scanlon Gregory J Scanlon.jpg 1926
27th John F. Cronin JohnFCronin.png 1927
28th Fred G. Burnham Fred G Burnham.jpg 1928–1929
29th William T. Dillon William T Dillon.jpg 1930–1931
30th Fred G. Burnham Fred G Burnham.jpg 1932 Died in office.
Acting William M. Hart WmMHart.png 1932 Acting mayor.
31st Henry J. Toepfert HenryToepfert.png 1932–1935 First elected in special election to finish Burnham's term.
32nd William P. Yoerg WmPYoerg Holyoke.png 1936–1939 Did not seek re-election to become
director of Holyoke Housing Authority;
presided over Lyman Terrace
33rd Henry J. Toepfert HenryToepfert.png 1940–1953 Longest-serving mayor.
Died in office.
Acting James T. Doherty JamesTDoherty.png 1953 Acting mayor.
34th Edwin A. Seibel EdwinSeibel Holyoke.png 1953–1957 First elected in special election to finish Toepfert's term.
Only mayor to serve concurrently as state representative.
Died in office.
Acting Samuel Resnic Samuel Resnic.png 1957 Acting mayor following Seibel's death;
was ineligible to run to complete term.
Acting Paul L. Brougham Paul Lovell Brougham.jpg 1957 Elected in special election to finish Seibel's term;
lost in concurrent regular election.
35th Samuel Resnic Samuel Resnic.png 1958–1963 First elected term.
Holyoke's first Jewish mayor.
36th Daniel F. Dibble DanielFDibble.png 1964–1967
37th William Taupier Mayor William Taupier at Wistariahurst, 1973.jpg 1968–1975 Resigned to become City Manager of Lowell, Massachusetts.
Acting Thomas Monahan Thomas Monahan.png 1975 Acting mayor.
38th Ernest E. Proulx ErnestProulx Holyoke.png 1976–1986
39th Martin J. Dunn MartinJohnDunn 1991.png 1987–1991 Resigned to become a State Senator.
Acting Joseph M. McGiverin 1991 Acting mayor.
40th William Hamilton Mayor William Hamilton (Holyoke, Massachusetts).jpg 1991–1995 First elected in special election to finish Dunn's term.
41st Daniel Szostkiewicz 1995–1999
42nd Michael J. Sullivan 2000–2009
43rd Elaine A. Pluta Elaine Pluta.png 2010–2011 First female mayor.
44th Alex Morse Alex B. Morse cropped.png 2012–2021 Youngest mayor in city history (elected at the age of 22).
First openly gay mayor.
Resigned to become Town Manager of Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Acting Todd A. McGee 2021 Acting mayor.
Acting Terence “Terry” Murphy 2021 Acting mayor.
45th Joshua A. Garcia Mayor Josh A. Garcia of Holyoke, Massachusetts (cropped).jpg 2021- Holyoke's first Latino mayor.
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List of mayors of Holyoke, Massachusetts Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.