This is a list of mayors of the City of Fall River, Massachusetts, from 1854 to present. Fall River was led by a three-member Board of Selectmen from 1803 until its re-incorporation as a city in 1854.
From 1854 until 1902, mayoral elections were held every year and mayors served one-year terms. In 1902, the mayoral term was increased to two years, which lasted until the city charter was changed in 1965. That year, the mayoral term was again increased, this time to a four-year term. This change would be overturned by voters in 1973 and a two-year term was reinstated.
The mayor's office is located at Fall River Government Center.
Mayoral chronology , there have been 44 mayors and three acting mayors. Non-consecutive terms by the same person are counted separately (for example, John W. Cummings was both the 14th and 16th mayor). Number of mayors, ranked by party affiliation: Party Number Most recent officeholderMayor ActingDemocratic 23 3Paul E. Coogan (2020–present)Republican 19 1Alexander C. Murray (1935–1945)Independent 1 —Daniel F. Sullivan (1931–1932)Whig 1 —Nathaniel B. Borden (1857–1858)American 1 —James Buffington (1854–1855)
List of MayorsInformation for 1803–1877 taken from A Centennial History of Fall River, Mass. by Henry H. Earl, 1877. # Mayor Picture Term Notes1st James Buffington May 15, 1854–1855 Previously a selectman from 1851 until establishment of the city.2nd Edward P. Buffinton 1856–1857 3rd Nathaniel B. Borden 1857–1858 Previously a selectman from 1840 to 1841.4th Josiah C. Blaisdell 1858–1860 5th Edward P. Buffinton 1860–1867 6th George O. Fairbanks 1867–1869 Previously a selectman from 1852 until 1854.7th Samuel M. Brown 1869–1873 8th Robert T. Davis 1873–1874 9th James F. Davenport 1874–1877 10thCrawford E. Lindsey 1878–1879 11thWilliam S. Greene 1880 – March 28, 1881 Resigned. ActingRobert Henry 1881–1881 Elected by the city council.12thHenry K. Braley 1882–1883 13thMilton Reed 1884–1884 14thJohn W. Cummings 1885–1885 15thWilliam S. Greene 1886–1886 16thJohn W. Cummings 1887–1888 17th 1889–1890 18thJohn W. Coughlin1891–1894 19thWilliam S. Greene 1895–1897 20th Amos M. Jackson 1898–1899 21st John H. Abbott 1900–1901 22ndGeorge Grime 1902–1904 Sitting in 1902.23rdJohn T. Coughlin 1905–1910 24thThomas F. Higgins 1911–1913 25thJames H. Kay January 5, 1913 – 1923 26thEdmond P. Talbot 1923–1926 Sitting in 1923.A History of the Town of Freetown, Massachusetts: "Old Home Festival". Assonet Village Improvement Society: 1902 First mayor of French-Canadian descent.27thW. Harry Monks 1927–1928 28th Edmond P. Talbot1929–1930First mayor under city manager form of government.29thDaniel F. Sullivan1931–193230thJoseph Leo Hurley 1933–1934 Final mayor under city manager form of government. 31stAlexander C. Murray1935–1945 32ndWilliam P. Grant 1946–1951 33rdJohn F. Kane1952–1957 34thJohn M. Arruda1958–1963 First mayor of Portuguese descent.35th Roland G. Desmarais1964–196736th Nicholas W. Mitchell1968–1971 37th Wilfred C. Driscoll 1972–1978 38th Carlton M. Viveiros 1978 – December 23, 1990 Resigned to become clerk-magistrate of the Southeastern District Housing Court.Holtzman, Michael. "Dual roles await Witty ". Fall River Herald News. October 12, 2007Acting Daniel Bogan December 23, 1990 – June 25, 1991 Acting mayor.39th John R. Mitchell June 25, 1991 – January 1996 40th Edward M. Lambert Jr. January 1996 – October 26, 2007 Resigned to accept a position at the University of Massachusetts.Holtzman, Michael. "Mayor seeks election help ". Fall River Herald News. October 12, 2007Acting William F. Whitty October 26, 2007 – January 7, 2008 Acting mayor.41st Robert Correia January 7, 2008 – January 4, 2010 Lost re-election bid when he finished third in a field of six in the preliminary election.42nd William A. Flanagan January 4, 2010 – December 29, 2014 Lost recall election held on December 16, 2014.43rd Sam SutterDecember 29, 2014 – January 4, 2016 Elected mayor on the same ballot that recalled William Flanagan. Lost election to a full term in November 2015.44th Jasiel CorreiaJanuary 4, 2016 – January 6, 2020 Youngest mayor elected at 23 years old. First mayor of Cape Verdean descent. Recalled yet re-elected on March 12, 2019. Lost re-election in November, 2019.Acting Clifford PonteOctober 16, 2019 – January 6, 2020 As President of the Fall River City Council, Ponte became Acting Mayor when Mayor Jasiel Correia took a leave of absence.45th Paul E. CooganJanuary 6, 2020 Elected mayor in November 2019.
City managers Fall River had a city manager from 1929 until 1935. # City manager Picture Term Notes1st Edward F. Harrington 1929–1931 2nd J. Walter Ackerman 1931–1933 3rd Alexander C. Murray 1933–1935 Served as mayor upon abolition of office.
See also List of selectmen of Fall River, Massachusetts History of Fall River, Massachusetts
References