Walter R. Tucker Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Walter R. Tucker Jr.
Tucker in 1973
Mayor of Compton, California
In office 1981–1990
Preceded by	Lionel Cade
Succeeded by	Walter R. Tucker III
Member of the Compton (California) City Council from the 3rd district
In office 1973–1977
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Robert "Bob" Adams
Personal details
Born	Walter Rayford Tucker Jr. (1924-08-27)August 27, 1924 Oklahoma
Died	October 1, 1990(1990-10-01) (aged 66)
Nationality	American
Spouse	Martha Hinton
Children	Keta Gale Tucker Walter R. Tucker III Kenneth N. Tucker Camille E. Tucker
Residence	Compton, California
Alma mater	Meharry
Occupation	Dentist, politician

Walter Rayford Tucker Jr. (born August 27, 1924 – died October 1, 1990) was an American dentist and a leader in politics. He was the Mayor of Compton, California for nine years.

Life and Political Career

Walter Rayford Tucker Jr. was born in Oklahoma. He trained to become a dentist. In the 1950s, he moved to Compton, California. Later, he was elected to the City Council, which helps run the city.

Becoming Mayor of Compton

In 1969, Walter Tucker tried to become the first African American mayor of Compton. He ran against City Councilman Douglas Dollarhide but lost in a second round of voting. Eight years later, he ran for mayor again. This time, he had a very close race against Lionel Cade and lost.

Finally, in 1981, Walter Tucker ran for mayor one more time. He won by a lot against Lionel Cade. He served as mayor for nine years. He passed away in 1990 when he was 66 years old. His son, Walter R. Tucker III, took over as mayor after a special election the next year. Another son, Kenneth, also tried to become mayor later on but was not successful.

Family and Education

Walter Tucker Jr. was a member of a group called Omega Psi Phi fraternity. While he was studying dentistry at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, Tennessee, he met Martha Hinton. She was a student at Fisk University. They got married and had four children: Keta, Walter, Kenneth, and Camille.

A Family of Educators and Doctors

Walter Tucker came from a family that really valued education. His father was the principal of the local high school in Haskell, Oklahoma. His mother was a teacher at the same school. All eight of their children went to college and earned degrees. Walter and two of his brothers became doctors. His other five brothers and sisters earned master's degrees and became educators.

Around 1970, Walter Tucker and his brothers, Booker T. and S. Edward, bought land together. Booker T. was a surgeon who worked on mouths, and S. Edward was a doctor for women and babies. They built a medical building on the land. At that time, they were among a small group of African American doctors in Los Angeles who owned their own medical building. They helped the Watts community for many years. In the 1980s, they sold the building, and the area was later turned into a shopping center. Besides being a dentist and a politician, Walter Tucker also served as a pastor at Zion Baptist Church.