Mayor of Wichita, Kansas explained

Post:Mayor
Body:the City of Wichita
Flag:Flag of Wichita, Kansas.svg
Flagcaption:Flag of Wichita
Flagsize:100px
Incumbent:Lily Wu
Incumbentsince:January 8, 2024
Termlength:Four years, renewable once
Formation:1871
Inaugural:Edwin Bird Allen
Website:Mayor's Office

The mayor of the City of Wichita is the head of the executive branch of the Wichita, Kansas city government. The mayor serves a four-year term and is limited to two successive terms.[1]

List

Following is a list of mayors of the American city of Wichita, Kansas.[2] As of 2024, there have been 81 people who have served as mayor of Wichita in 103 administrations excluding one honorary mayor.

NumberPersonImageMayorYearsNotes
11Edwin Bird Allen1871–1872Elder brother of mayor Joseph P. Allen[3]
22James G. Hope
(1st term)
1873–1874
33George E. Harris1875
4(2)James G. Hope
(2nd term)
1876–1877
54William Greiffenstein
(1st term)
1878
651879First Jewish mayor of Wichita
7(4)William Greiffenstein
(2nd term)
1879–1884
86Benajah W. Aldrich1885–1886
97Joseph P. Allen1887–1888
108George W. Clement1889–1890
119John B. Carey1891–1892
1210Lindley Murray Cox1893–1896
1311Finlay Ross
(1st term)
1897–1900
1412Benjamin Franklin McLean
(1st term)
1901–1904[4]
15(11)Finlay Ross
(2nd term)
1905–1906
1613John H. Graham
(1st term)
1907–1908
1714Charles Lock Davidson1909–1910
18(13)John H. Graham
(2nd term)
April 1911 – Sept 1911Lost recall election in September 1911
19151911–1912
20161913–1914
2117Orsemus Hills Bentley1915–1916
2218Lewis William Clapp1917–1919Resigned on October 3, 1919 to become City Manager[5]
2319John Lee Powell1919–1920
2420Wallace C. Kemp1921–1922
2521George Henry Hamilton1922
26221922–1923
27(12)Benjamin Franklin McLean
(2nd term)
1923–1924
2823Frank Leslie Dunn
(1st term)
1924–1925
2924Ben F. Copley1925–1926
3025Frank Nighswonger
(1st term)
1926–1927
31261927–1928
32(23)Frank Leslie Dunn
(2nd term)
1928–1929
3327Charles S. Lawrence
(1st term)
1929–1930
3428Herman A. Hill1930–1931
35(25)Frank Nighswonger
(2nd term)
1931–1932
3629Harry D. Cottman1932–1933
37(27)Charles S. Lawrence
(2nd term)
1933–1934
3830James Schuyler Crawford1934–1935
39(25)Frank Nighswonger
(3rd term)
1935–1936
4031Robert E. Israel1936–1937
41321937–1938
4233Elmer R. Corn
(1st term)
1938–1939
4334Frank W. Coleman
(1st term)
1939–1940
44(33)Elmer R. Corn
(2nd term)
1940–1941
4535John I. Dotson1941–1942
4636Odom Farrell Sullivan1942–1943
4737Eugene Calendar Moriarty1943–1944
4838Herman William Beuttel1944–1945
4939Phil H. Manning1945–1946
50(34)Frank W. Coleman
(2nd term)
1946–1947
5140Charles S. Ritchie1947–1948
5241Louis August Donnell
(1st term)
1948–1949
5342William Christian Salome, Jr.
(1st term)
1949–1950
54431950–1951
5544Floyd Throckmorton Amsden1951–1952
5645Frank Russell Jump1952–1953
57461953–1954
58(42)William Christian Salome Jr.1954
(2nd term)
59(41)Louis August Donnell
(2nd term)
1954–1955
6047Claude M. DeVorss1955–1956
6148Hugh David Lester1956
6249Alfred E. Howse1956–1957
6350Elzie E. Baird1957–1958
6451James L. Gardner1958–1959
6552Justus H. Fugate1959–1960
6653Levi Budd Rymph1960–1961
6754Herbert Piper Lindsley1961–1962
6855Carl A. Bell, Jr.1962–1963
6956Gerald F. Byrd1963–1964
7057Vincent L. Bogart1964–1965
7158William D. Tarrant1965–1966
7259John S. Stevens1966–1967
7360Clarence Eldert Vollmer1967–1968
7461William D. Anderson Jr.1968–1969
7562Donald K. Enoch1969–1970
7663A. Price Woodard Jr.1970–1971First African–American mayor.[6]
7764Jack H. Greene1971–1972
7865Glenn J. "Jack" Shanahan1972–1973
7966James M. Donnell
(1st term)
1973–1974
8067Garry L. Porter1974–1975
8168Connie Ames Peters Kennard
(1st term)
1975–1976First woman commissioner and first woman mayor[7]
82(66)James M. Donnell
(2nd term)
1976–1977
8369Antonio F. "Tony" Casado
(1st term)
1977–1978First Latino (Cuban) mayor of Wichita
84(68)Connie Ames Peters Kennard
(2nd term)
1978–1979
85(69)Antonio F. "Tony" Casado
(2nd term)
1979–1980
8670Robert G. Knight
(1st term)
1980–1981
8771Robert C. Brown
(1st term)
1981–1982
8872Albert J. Kirk1982–1983
8973Margalee Wright1983–1984
90(70)Robert G. Knight
(2nd term)
1984– April 9, 1985
xxKathlien Edmiston
(honorary)
April 9, 1985 – April 9, 1985Edmiston was elected in a 3-1 vote to the City Commission on February 12, 1985 to serve the remaining two-month term through April 9
of commissioner Margalee Wright who resigned to serve on the Kansas Corporation Commission.[8]
Mayor Robert Knight resigned on April 2, 1985[9] in order for Edmiston to hold the office of mayor
until the swearing of two new commissioners[10] so that she might have the honor of serving as mayor.
Knight was unaware that he was required to provide a week's notice making April 9 the earliest she could be sworn in,
the same day the new commissioners took office. She was sworn in on April 9.
After the newly elected commissioners were sworn in shortly after,
a vote was held and Robert C. Brown was elected as the next mayor.
Edmiston held the office of mayor for approximately 30 minutes.
91(71)Robert C. Brown
(2nd term)
1985–1986
92(69)Antonio F. "Tony" Casado
(3rd term)
1986–1987
93(70)Robert G. Knight
(3rd term)
1987–1988
9474Sheldon Kamen1988–1989
95(70)Robert G. Knight
(4th term)
1989–1992
9675Frank M. Ojile1992–1993
9776Elma Broadfoot1993–1995[11] [12]
98(70)Robert G. Knight
(5th term)
1995–2003
9977Carlos Mayans2003–2007
100782007–2015First elected African–American mayor
10179Jeff Longwell2015–2020
102802020–2024
103812024-PresentFirst elected Asian-American mayor

Notes and References

  1. Web site: City of Wichita City Council . City of Wichita . November 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231020161121/https://www.wichita.gov/Council/Pages/default.aspx . October 20, 2023 . live.
  2. Web site: Archived copy . 2012-02-04 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111206072657/http://wichita.gov/Government/CityCouncil/Mayor/PreviousMayors/ . December 6, 2011 . mdy-all .
  3. Web site: Previous Wichita Mayors 1871–1916 . wichitagov.org. Wayback Machine. https://web.archive.org/web/20080706141131/http://www.wichitagov.org/Government/CityCouncil/Mayor/PreviousMayors/1871-1916.htm. July 6, 2008.
  4. News: Dispatch Newspaper. August 20, 1902. A Woodstock boy who has Prospered in the West.
  5. Web site: Previous Wichita Mayors 1917–1950 . wichitagov.org. Wayback Machine. https://web.archive.org/web/20130220075420/http://www.wichita.gov/Government/CityCouncil/Mayor/PreviousMayors/1917-1950.htm. February 20, 2013.
  6. News: A. Price Woodard Elected Wichita's First Negro Mayor . The Catholic Advance . April 23, 1970. Newspapers.com.
  7. News: Kirk, Wright, Gerling, Kennard In The City Commission Primary . The Wichita Eagle. March 1, 1981 . Newspapers.com.
  8. News: Kathlien Edmiston to fill unexpired term . The Wichita Eagle. February 13, 1985. Newspapers.com.
  9. News: Al . Polczinski . She May Be Mayor for a Day . The Wichita Eagle. April 3, 1985. Newspapers.com.
  10. News: Wichita Mayors Steal the Show - Gavel passed from Knight to Edmiston, Then Brown . The Wichita Eagle. April 10, 1985 . Newspapers.com. 1D, 9D.
  11. News: Sarah. Kempin . She's Boss of the River - Broadfoot Says Festival Has Personality . The Wichita Eagle. May 14, 1987 . Newspapers.com. 14A, 15A.
  12. News: Ks. Newman gives awards to two alumni June 16 . The Catholic Advance . June 21, 1984. Newspapers.com.