List of mayors of Memphis, Tennessee facts for kids

A mayor is the main leader of a city or town. They help make important decisions and manage how the city runs. This page lists all the people who have been the mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, since the city was founded.

Memphis Mayors: A Look Back

Memphis has a long history, and its mayors have played a big part in shaping the city.

A Time Without a Mayor

In 1879, something very serious happened in Memphis. A terrible sickness called yellow fever spread through the city. Many people got sick, and sadly, a lot of them died or moved away. Because so many people left, Memphis lost its official city status. This is called being disincorporated.

Because of this, Memphis didn't have a mayor for many years, from 1879 to 1895. During this time, the city was managed by leaders known as the President of the Taxing District. These leaders were:

• David T. Porter (1879-1881)
• John Overton (1881-1883)
• David P. Hadden (1883-1891)
• William D. Bethell (1891-1893)
• Walter L. Clapp (1893-1895)

Finally, in 1895, Memphis became an official city again. Walter L. Clapp, who had been a President of the Taxing District, then became the first mayor after this period. You can learn more about this time in the History of Memphis, Tennessee article.

List of Memphis Mayors

Here is a list of all the mayors who have led the city of Memphis:

Image	Mayor	Years	Notes
	Marcus B. Winchester	1827–1829
	Isaac Rawlings	1829–1831
	Seth Wheatley	1831–1832
	Robert Lawrence	1832–1833
	Isaac Rawlings (2nd term)	1833–1836
	Enoch Banks	1836–1837
	John H. Morgan	1837–1838
	Enoch Banks (2nd term)	1838–1839
	Thomas Dixon	1839–1841
	William Spickernagle	1841–1842
	Edwin Hickman	1842–1845
	Jesse J. Finley	1845–1846
	Edwin Hickman (2nd term)	1846–1847
	Enoch Banks (3rd term)	1847–1848
	Gardner E. Locke	1848–1849
	Edwin Hickman (3rd term)	1849–1852
	A. B. Taylor	1852–1855
	Addison H. Douglass	1855–1856
	Thomas B. Carroll	1856–1857
	Richard D. Baugh	1857–1861
	John Park	1861–1864
	Thomas H. Harris	1864
	Channing Richards	1864–1865
	John Park (2nd term)	1865–1866
	William Lofland	1866–1868
	Edgar M. McDavitt	1868
	John W. Leftwich	1868–1869
	John T. Swayne	1869
	John W. Leftwich (2nd term)	1869–1870
	John Johnson	1870–1874
	John Loague	1874–1876
	John R. Flippin	1876–1879
	(None)	1879–1895	As explained above, Memphis was not an official city during this time due to a yellow fever epidemic. City leaders were called President of the Taxing District.
	Walker L. Clapp	1895–1898
	Joseph John "JJ" Williams	1898–1906
	James H. Malone	1906–1910
	E. H. "Boss" Crump	1910–1915
	George C. Love	1915–1916
	Thomas C. Ashcroft	1916–1917
	Harry H. Litty	1917–1918
	Frank L. Monteverde	1918–1919
	Rowlett Paine	1920–1927
	Watkins Overton	1928–1939
	E. H. "Boss" Crump (2nd term)	1940
	Joseph P. Boyle	1940
	Walter Chandler	1940–1946
	Joseph P. Boyle (2nd term)	1946
	Sylvanus W. Polk, Sr.	1946–1947
	James J. Pleasants, Jr.	1947–1949
	Watkins Overton	1949–1953
	Frank T. Tobey	1953–1955
	Walter Chandler	1955
	Edmund Orgill	1956–1959
	Henry Loeb	1960–1963
	Claude Armour	1963
	William B. Ingram	1963–1967
	Henry Loeb (2nd term)	1968–1971
	J. Wyeth Chandler	1972–1982	Left office to become a judge.
	J.O. Patterson, Jr.	1982	Served as a temporary mayor. He was the first African-American mayor of Memphis.
	Wallace Madewell	1982
	Richard C. Hackett	1982–1991
	W. W. Herenton	1992–2009	He was the first African-American mayor to be elected by the people.
Myron Lowery	Myron Lowery	2009 (Mayor pro tem)	The third African-American mayor.
	A C Wharton	2009–2015
	Jim Strickland	2016–2024
	Paul Young	2024–present	The fifth African-American mayor.

See also

• Timeline of Memphis, Tennessee