Clarence Harmon Explained

Clarence Harmon
Termstart:April 15, 1997
Termend:April 17, 2001
Predecessor:Freeman Bosley Jr.
Successor:Francis Slay
Office1:30th Commissioner of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
Termstart1:January 1992
Termend1:January 1995
Appointer1:Vincent C. Schoemehl
Predecessor1:Robert Scheetz
Successor1:Ron Henderson
Birth Place:St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Spouse:Janet Kelley
Alma Mater:Webster University
Truman State University
Children:4
Profession:Politician, police chief

Clarence Harmon (born 1940) was the 44th Mayor of St. Louis (from 1997 to 2001), and the city's second African-American mayor.

Early life and education

Harmon was born to a Baptist family, and the only boy out of three children. His father was a cook on a railway, while his mother was a nurse. As a boy, Harmon was converted to Catholicism in order to attend the McBride High School, a boys-only institution. After graduating from it, he served in the US Army in the 101st Airborne Division and then got enrolled into Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University).[1]

Career

Prior to serving as Mayor, Harmon had served as Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis's 30th Commissioner of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department between the years 1991 and 1995, becoming the first African American to do so.[2] During the time as Police Commissioner his duty was to patrol Fox Park, St. Louis, which was crime infested, but in 30 days time, the city's crime dropped 47%.[1]

He defeated incumbent Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. in the Democratic Primary in 1997 and went on to win election by a wide margin in the general election.[3] Following his victory, Harmon shouted "Tear down the walls of isolation, St. Louis!", calling for the unity and racial healing.[4] Harmon was defeated for re-election in the 2001 Democratic Primary.[5]

References

Notes and References

  1. A Conversation with Clarence Harmon. Jeannette Cooperman. St. Louis Magazine. November 29, 2012.
  2. Web site: ST LOUIS POLICE VETERan's HISTORICAL PHOTO EARLY BLACK HISTORY SAINT LOUIS of the ST LOUIS POLICE DEPARTMENT MISSOURI . www.slpva.com . 12 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100805052200/http://www.slpva.com/historic/stlpoliceblackhistory.html . 5 August 2010 . dead.
  3. News: Former Police Chief Elected St. Louis Mayor. Associated Press. The New York Times. April 3, 1997. 22.
  4. News: Harmon Urges Unity Speech Calls for Regional, Racial Healing. Jo Mannies. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 16, 1997.
  5. News: The New Wisdom of Boz. D.J. Wilson. Riverfront Times. January 3, 2001. September 13, 2019.