City of Wichita - Previous Wichita Mayors 1950-1989
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Portrait of Mayor Carl Brewer

City Council
City Hall, 1st Floor
MS 1-135
455 N. Main
Wichita, KS 67202

Phone: (316) 268-4331
Fax: (316) 268-4333

Carl Brewer
Mayor

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1950-1989

April 14, 1987 - The City Commission held their first meeting as the City Council.

Here is a listing of mayors who served during the years 1950-1970:

#54 - Earl K. Duke (1950-1951)

Portrait of Earl K. Duke

Born: Feb 17, 1895
Died: Apr 1981

Occupation: president of Duke Printing Inc.

Served as City Commissioner (1947-48, 1948-49, 1949-50)

Internment: unknown

#55 - Floyd Throckmorton Amsden (1951-1952)

Portrait of Floyd T. Amsden

Born: May 25, 1913
Died: Nov 5, 1980

Occupation: president of Amsden Lumber Company founded by his grandfather in 1885

Served as City Commissioner (1949-50, 1950-51, 1952-53)

Interred at Old Mission Mausoleum.

#56 - Frank Russell Jump (1952-1953)

Portrait of Russell Jump

Born: Mar 16, 1895
Died: Apr 18, 2000

Occupation: founded Arotext Co. (uniform manufacturing business)

Pilot during WWI.

Helped negotiate the sale of the city airport to the Air Force.

Served as City Commissioner (1949-50, 1950-51, 1951-52)

Died at the age of 105 - one of the longest living people who took public office.

Internment: unknown

#57 - Walter M. Keeler (1953-1954)

Portrait of Walt Keeler

Born: May 24, 1907
Died: May 21, 1990

Occupation: founded Walt Keeler Co. (concrete plant)

Served as City Commissioner (1951-52, 1952-53, 1954-55, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71)

Internment: unknown

#60 - Claude M. DeVorss (1955-1956)

Portrait of Claude M. DeVorss

Born: unknown

Occupation: funeral director of DeVorss Mortuary (later DeVorss, Flanagan-Hunt Mortuary)

As mayor, he was elected president of the World Congress of Mayors in Italy.

Served as City Commissioner (1953-54, 1954-55, 1956-57)

Served two terms on the Kansas League of Municipalities.

#61 - Hugh David Lester (1956 - resigned November 13, 1956)

Portrait of H.D. Lester

Born: Feb 13, 1881
Died: Feb 7, 1969

Occupation: financier

Served as City Commissioner (1953-54, 1954-55, 1956-57)

Internment: unknown

#62 - Alfred E. Howse (1956-1957)

Portrait of A.E. Howse

Born: June 8, 1908
Died: Nov 9, 1986

Occupation: unknown

Fought in the Army during WWII.

Served as City Commissioner (1955-56, 1956-57 - replaced H.D. Lester as mayor, 1957-58, 1958-59)

Chaired the Kansas State Crime Commission.

Spearheaded efforts to build Cheney Reservoir.

Interred at Maple Grove Cemetery.

#63 - Elzie E. Baird (1957-1958)

Portrait of E.E. Baird

Born: Dec 17, 1888
Died: Dec 13, 1975

Occupation: vice-president and general manager for Jett & Wood wholesale grocery firm

Served as City Commissioner (1955-56, 1956-57, 1958-59)

Internment: unknown

#64 - James L. Gardner (1958-1959)

Portrait of James L. Gardner

Born: Aug 12, 1920
Died: Dec 31, 1992

Occupation: real estate appraiser

Co-owner of the Commodore with brother-in-law Forrest Weirick.

Served as City Commissioner (1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58)

Internment: unknown

#65 - Justus H. Fugate (1959-1960)

Portrait of Justus H. Fugate

Born: Jan 25, 1904
Died: Oct 4, 1998

Became involved in water resources after becoming mayor.

Served as City Commissioner (1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63)

Internment: unknown

#66 - Levi Budd Rymph (1960-1961)

Portrait of Levi B. Rymph

Born: June 10, 1901
Died: Dec 8, 1987

Occupation: insurance salesman

Served as City Commissioner (1959-60, 1961-62, 1962-63)

Wife Jessie was named Kansas Mother of the Year during his mayoral term.

Internment: Harper Cemetery in Harper, Kansas

#67 - Herbert Piper Lindsley (1961-1962)

Portrait of Herbert P. Lindsley

Born: Dec 16, 1913
Died: Nov 9, 1991

Occupation: insurance executive

Father founded Farmers & Bankers Life Insurance Company.

Served as City Commissioner (1959-60, 1960-61, 1962-63)

Interred at Old Mission Mausoleum.

#68 - Carl A. Bell, Jr. (1962-1963)

Portrait of Carl A. Bell

Born: Oct 31, 1922
Died: Feb 15, 2009

Occupation: attorney

Father founded Carl Bell Markets and Carl Bell Wholesale Meat Company.

Served as City Commissioner (1961-62, 1963-64, 1964-65)

Led efforts in getting Century II Convention Center built and Convention Hall is named after him.

Served 7 years on the Wichita Board of Education.

Internment: unknown

#69 - Gerald F. Byrd (1963-1964)

Portrait of Gerald F. Byrd

Born: Apr 30, 1917
Died: Dec 3, 1993

Occupation: unknown

Father founded Byrd-Snodgrass Mortuary.

Served as City Commissioner (1961-62, 1962-63, 1964-65)

Internment: unknown

#70 - Vincent L. Bogart (1964-1965)

Portrait of Vincent L. Bogart

Born: unknown
Died:

Occupation: attorney

Served as City Commissioner (1963-64, 1965-66, 1966-67)

B.S. from Kansas State University in 1953. LL.B. from Washburn University in 1955. Admitted to practice in Kansas in 1955. Member of the Wichita, Kansas and American Bar Association, the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Areas of concentration: workers compensation, personal injury, wills, trusts, probate.

#71 - William D. Tarrant (1965-1966)

Portrait of William D. Tarrant

Born: unknown
Died:

Occupation: unknown

Served as City Commissioner (1963-64, 1964-65, 1966-67)

#72 - John S. Stevens (1966-1967)

Portrait of John S. Stevens

Born: Dec 15, 1912
Died: Aug 14, 1976

Served as City Commissioner (1957-58, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1969-70, 1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76 - died while serving 1976-77 term and was replaced by Robert I. Cory)

Veterans Memorial Park has a memorial dedicated to him.

Interred at Resthaven Gardens of Memory.

#73 - Clarence Eldert Vollmer (1967-1968)

Portrait of Clarence E. Vollmer

Born: Oct 11, 1897
Died: March 1983

Occupation: owner of Vollmer Construction

Was responsible for building the Metropolitan Baptist Church and schools such as Southeast High.

Served as City Commissioner (1965-66, 1966-67, 1968-69)

Interred at Old Mission Mausoleum.

#74 - William D. Anderson, Jr. (1968-1969)

Portrait of William D. Anderson

Born: July 8, 1927
Died:

Occupation: owner of Anderson Printing Company

Served as City Commissioner (1965-66, 1966-67, 1969-70)

#75 - Donald K. Enoch (1969-1970)

Portrait of Donald K. Enoch

Born: June 22, 1916
Died:

Occupation: owner of Wichita Brush and Chemical Company

Served as City Commissioner (1967-68, 1968-69, 1970-71)

#76 - A. Price Woodard, Jr. (1970-1971)

Portrait of A. Price Woodard

Born: Jan 26, 1919
Died: Jan 13, 1972

Occupation: attorney

Wichita's first black Mayor and black City Commissioner

Served as City Commissioner (1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70)

A. Price Woodard Park is named after him.

Interred at Highland Cemetery.

#77 - Jack H. Greene (1971-1972)

Portrait of Jack H. Greene

Born: unknown
Died:

Occupation: attorney

Served as City Commissioner (1969-70, 1970-71, 1972-73)

#78 - Glenn J. "Jack" Shanahan (1972-1973)

Portrait of Glenn J. Shanahan

Born: unknown
Died:

Occupation: unknown

Served as City Commissioner (1971-72, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79)

#79 & #82 - James M. Donnell (1973-1974, 1976-1977)

Portrait of James M. Donnell

Born: unknown
Died:

Occupation: unknown

Son of Mayor L.A. Donnell.

Served as City Commissioner (1971-72, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1977-78, 1978-79)

#80 - Garry L. Porter (1974-1975)

Portrait of Garry L. Porter

Born: unknown
Died:

Occupation: psychiatrist

Served as City Commissioner (1971-72, 72-73, 1973-74, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81)

#81 & #84 - Connie Ames Peters Kennard (1975-1976, 1978-1979)

Portrait of Connie A. Peters

Born: unknown
Died:

Occupation: unknown

Wichita's first female Mayor and City Commissioner.

Served as City Commissioner (1973-74, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1980-81)

#83, #85 & #93 - Antonio F. "Tony" Casado (1977-1978, 1979-1980, 1986-1987)

Portrait of A.F. Casado

Born: Oct 10, 1913
Died: May 11, 1996

Occupation: realtor

First Hispanic Mayor.

Born in Puerto Padre, Oriente Province, Cuba and came to Wichita at the age of 12.

Served in House of Representatives - District 65 (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964)

Served in State Senate - District 24 (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968)

Served in State Senate - District 19 (1969, 1970)

Appointed to be deputy mission director for the US Agency of International Development in Paraquay in 1970.

Served as City Commissioner (1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83 - resigned May 18, 1982 and replaced by R.D. Martens, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86)

Casado Campus Center at Friends University named after him.

#86, #90, #94, #96 & #99 - Robert G. Knight (1980-1981; 1984-1985 - resigned May 2, 1985; 1987-1988, 1989-1992 - resigned September 29, 1992; 1995-2003)

Portrait of Robert G. Knight

Born:
Died:

Occupation: unknown

Was the first elected Mayor by a popular vote.

Has served more terms than any Wichita mayor.

Served as City Commissioner (1979-80, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86)

Served as City Council Member (1986-87, 1988-89)

Resigned as Mayor Sept 29, 2003, to take position of Kansas State Secretary of Commerce.

#87 & #92 - Robert C. Brown (1981-1982, 1985-1986)

Portrait of Robert C. Brown

Born: Oct 27, 1920
Died: Mar 8, 1993

Occupation: White Truck Sales owner

Served as City Commissioner (1979-80, 1980-81, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85)

Served as City Council Member (1986-87)

Century II Convention Center's Bob Brown Expo Hall is named after him.

Interred at Old Mission Mortuary.

#88 - Albert J. Kirk (1982-1983)

Portrait of Albert J. Kirk

Born: 1944
Died:

Occupation: attorney

Served as City Commissioner (1981-82, 1983-84, 1984-85)

#89 - Margalee Wright (1983-1984)

Portrait of Margalee Wright

Born: unknown
Died:

Occupation: unknown

Served as City Commissioner (1981-82, 1982-83, 1984-85)

Resigned as City Commissioner Jan 15, 1985 to serve on the Kansas Corporation Commission until 1991.

Honored in WSU's Plaza of Heroines.

#91 - Kathlien Robertson Edmiston (1985)

Portrait of Kathlien Edmiston

Born: Dec 20, 1911
Died: July 13, 1998

Occupation: unknown

Became City Commissioner Dec 12, 1985 when Margalee Wright resigned.

Became Mayor April 9, 1985 to complete Robert G. Knight's unfinished term.

Served on the Wichita University Board of Regents.

Served on the WSU Board of Trustees.

Honored in WSU's Plaza of Heroines.

Internment: unknown

#95 - Sheldon Kamen (1988-1989)

Portrait of Sheldon Kamen

Born: unknown
Died:

Occupation: president and CEO of Kamen, Inc.

Served as Wichita BOE Member (1979-85)

Served as Wichita BOE President (1981-82)

Served as City Commissioner (1985-86)

Served as City Council Member (1986-87, 1987-88)

Served as City Council Member - District II (1989-90, 1991-1992, 1993-95, 1995-97)

Served as Vice Mayor (1995-1996)

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Mayor-Council Government 1870-1909
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