| Walter R. Tucker Jr. | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Office1: | Mayor of Compton, California |
| Term Start1: | 1981 |
| Term End1: | 1990 |
| Predecessor1: | Lionel Cade |
| Successor1: | Walter R. Tucker III |
| Office2: | Member of the Compton (California) City Council from the 3rd district |
| Term Start2: | 1973 |
| Term End2: | 1977 |
| Predecessor2: | Unknown |
| Successor2: | Robert "Bob" Adams |
| Birth Name: | Walter Rayford Tucker Jr. |
| Birth Date: | August 27, 1924 [1] |
| Birth Place: | Oklahoma |
| Birthname: | Walter Rayford Tucker Jr. |
| Residence: | Compton, California |
| Spouse: | Martha Hinton |
| Children: | Keta Gale Tucker Walter R. Tucker III Kenneth N. Tucker Camille E. Tucker |
| Alma Mater: | Meharry |
| Occupation: | Dentist, politician |
Walter Rayford Tucker Jr. (August 27, 1924 – October 1, 1990) was an American dentist and politician who served nine years as the Mayor of Compton, California.
Walter Rayford Tucker, Jr. was born in Oklahoma. He became a dentist and moved to Compton, California in the 1950s. Later he was elected to the City Council.
In 1969, he lost a run-off with City Councilman Douglas Dollarhide to become the city's first African American mayor. Eight years later, Tucker lost a close race against Lionel Cade for the same position. Finally in 1981, he came back to decisively defeat Cade. He went on to serve nine years as mayor until his death from stomach cancer at the age of 66. His son, Walter R. Tucker III, succeeded him in a special election held the following year. Another son, Kenneth, unsuccessfully ran to replace his brother after the latter was elected to Congress in 1992.
Tucker Jr. was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. While attending Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, Tennessee, he met Martha Hinton, a student at Fisk University. They married and had four children: Keta, Walter, Kenneth and Camille.
It is noted that Tucker came from a family of educators. His father was principal of the local high school in Haskell, Oklahoma. His mother was a teacher there. Out of eight children, all obtained college degrees. Tucker and two of his brothers were doctors and five other siblings obtained master's degrees and became educators.
Circa 1970 Tucker bought land and built a medical building with his brothers, Booker T., an oral surgeon, and S. Edward, an OBGYN. At the time, they were in a small group of African American doctors in Los Angeles who owned their own medical building. Serving the Watts community for many years, the brothers finally sold the building in the 80's and the area was redeveloped into a strip mall. In addition to practicing dentistry and holding political office, Tucker served as an Associate Pastor at Zion Baptist Church.