This is a list of mayors of Memphis, Tennessee.
History As a result of a yellow fever epidemic in 1879, Memphis lost so much of its population that it was disincorporated and was not rechartered until 1895. This accounts for the absence of a mayor during the period 1879–1893. The city leaders during this period were known as President of the Taxing District. They were David T. Porter (1879-1881), John Overton (1881-1883), David P. Hadden (1883-1891), William D. Bethell (1891-1893) and Walker L. Clapp (1893-1895) who then became mayor. See the article History of Memphis, Tennessee for more information.
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 a result of a yellow fever epidemic in 1879, Memphis lost so much of its population that it was disincorporated and was not rechartered until 1895. This accounts for the absence of a mayor during the period 1879–1893. The city leaders during this period were known as President of the Taxing District. They were David T. Porter (1879-1881), John Overton (1881-1883), David P. Hadden (1883-1891), William D. Bethell (1891-1893) and Walker L. Clapp (1893-1895) who then became mayor. See the article History of Memphis, Tennessee for more information. 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 Resigned from office to accept a circuit court judgeship J.O. Patterson, Jr. 1982 Served as interim mayor. First African-American mayor. Former State Representative (one term) and former State Senator (two terms). Wallace Madewell 1982 Richard C. Hackett 1982–1991 W. W. Herenton 1992–2009 First elected African-American mayor Myron Lowery 2009 (Mayor pro tem) 3rd African-American mayor A C Wharton 2009–2015 2nd elected African American mayor Jim Strickland 2016–2024 Paul Young 2024–present 5th African-American mayor.
See also Timeline of Memphis, Tennessee
References
External links Memphis Mayor's Office - MemphisTN.gov