List of mayors of Yazoo City, Mississippi explained
The mayor of Yazoo City, Mississippi is elected every four years by the population at large. Being the chief executive officer of the city, the mayor is responsible for administering and leading the day-to-day operations of city government. The current mayor of the city is David "Mel" Starling, who was elected in 2022.[1]
City Hall is located at 128 East Jefferson Street.
List of mayors
Nineteenth century
| Mayor name | Term | Notes |
|---|
| C. H. Williams | 1884–1888 | |
| W. G. Deles | 1888–1892 | |
| Theodore Schmitt | 1892–1894[2] | |
| John C. Henderson | 1894–1897 | |
| John H. Murphy | 1897 | Interim mayor upon the resignation of Henderson. Died in office. |
| George M. Powell | 1897–1900 | | |
Twentieth Century
| Mayor name | Term | Notes |
|---|
| Edward Luke | 1900–1904 | |
| Edwin R. Holmes | 1904–1908 | |
| Edward Luke | 1908–1911 | Returned to office. |
| Thomas H. Campbell, Jr. | 1911–1920 | |
| E. P. Swain | 1920–1928 | |
| J. O. Stricklin, Sr. | 1928–1930 | Died in office shortly after winning decisively for a second term. Committed suicide on Tuesday, April 1, 1930, after shooting and seriously wounding F. R. Birdsall, editor of the Yazoo Sentinel newspaper.[3] The shooting occurred after Birdsall published a story of a grand jury indictment against Stricklin. Birdsall died from his injuries the following day.[4] |
| R. M. Middleton | 1930 | Interim mayor after the death of Stricklin. Finished a distant second in special election to complete remainder of Stricklin's unexpired term. |
| Dewitt M. Love | 1930–1942 | |
| Nathan L. Swayze | 1942–1945 | Died in office |
| R. M. Middleton | 1945 | Interim mayor after the death of Swayze. |
| Charles L. Graeber | 1945–1947 | |
| J. B. Smith | 1947–1948 | |
| William Sidney Perry | 1948–1954 | |
| Harry Applebaum | 1954–1968 | |
| 1968–1972[5] | Elected as an Independent, Barbour was one of the first Mississippi politicians to successfully challenge the Democratic Party in the state in the modern era. |
| Floyd E. Johnson | 1972-1978[6] | |
| Charles E. Fulgham | 1978–1990 | |
| Hugh J. McGraw | 1990–1998 | | |
Twenty-first century
| Mayor name | Term | Notes |
|---|
| Wardell Leach | 1998–2006[7] | First African American mayor. Brother of Herman Leach (1937-2023), who in 1979 became the first African American county supervisor in Yazoo County. |
| McArthur Slaughter | 2006–2014 | |
| Diana Delaware | 2014–2022[8] | First female mayor |
| David "Mel" Starling | 2022– | | |
External links
Notes and References
- News: Patterson . Jamie . 16 April 2022 . Starling sworn in as Yazoo City's new mayor . Yazoo Herald . Yazoo City, Mississippi . 16 April 2022 . 11 December 2022 . And after being presented with a gavel and sworn in by Federal Judge Carlton Reeves, David “Mel” Starling began his tenure as Yazoo City’s new mayor. .
- Web site: List of Mayors of Yazoo City . . City of Yazoo City . January 17, 2023 .
- News: . April 1, 1930 . Yazoo editor shot down by Mayor Stricklin . The Yazoo City Herald . Yazoo City, Mississippi . 1 . January 16, 2023 . newspapers.com . subscription . F. R. Birdsall, editor of the Ya[z]oo Sentinel and member of the State Tax Commission was shot and seriously wounded and J. O. Stricklin, Mayor of Ya[z]oo City, is dead of a self-inflicted wound, as the result of a shooting affray on Main street this afternoon about 1:30 o'clock in which Mayor Stricklin did all the shooting, according to eye witnesses..
- News: . April 4, 1930 . Editor given final honors in Yazoo City . Clarion-Ledger . Jackson, Mississippi . 1, 15 . January 17, 2023 . newspapers.com . subscription . Mr. Birdsall died early Wednesday morning from three pistol wounds inflicted by J. O. Stricklin, Sr., mayor of Ya[z]oo City, Tues[d]ay afternoon after which Mr. Stricklin calmly drove his car to the undertaking establishment of his son and shot himself, death ensuing instantly..
- News: . April 11, 1968 . His Honor sworn to duty by mother . The Yazoo City Herald . 1 . January 16, 2023 . newspapers.com . subscription . Mayor J. F. Barbour III was sworn into office Monday night by his mother, Mrs. J. F. Barbour, Jr. and became one of the youngest chief executive officers in the history of the city..
- News: . April 6, 1972 . Floyd Johnson elected mayor . The Yazoo City Herald . Yazoo City, Mississippi . 1 . January 16, 2023 . newspapers.com . subscription . Alderman Floyd E. Johnson, who was elected Mayor of Yazoo City by polling 1581 votes will take office at regular Council meeting Monday, April 10. .
- Web site: First Black Mississippi county supervisor dies in house fire . . January 17, 2023 . Fox News . January 17, 2023 . His brother Wardell Leach was Yazoo City's first Black mayor from 1998 through 2006..
- "Delaware cruises to a second term as Mayor - Yazoo Herald Retrieved on April 29, 2021"
