List of mayors of Des Moines, Iowa

The following is a list of the mayors of Des Moines, Iowa.

List of mayors
ImageMayorTerm start and end[1]Political party[2]Notes
Thompson Bird1851 – 1852
Benjamin LuceOctober 1853 – 1854
Lampson P. Sherman1854–1855
Barlow GrangerNovember 1855 – 1856
William DeFordNovember 1856 – 1857
Charles W. Nash1857 – May 1, 1857
William H. McHenryMay 1, 1857 – 1858Democratic[3]
H. E. Lemoreaux1858–1859
R. L. Tidrick1859–1860
P. H. W. Latshaw1860–1861Republican
Ira Cook1861RepublicanResigned from office[4]
W. S. Barnes1861–1862Republican
Thomas Cavanagh1862–1863Democratic[5]
William H. Leas1863–1865Republican
George W. Cleveland1865–1868Republican
Sumner F. Spofford1868–1869
J. H. Hatch1869–1871Republican
Martin Tuttle1871–1872
J. P. Foster1872–1873Republican
Giles H. Turner1873 – March 16, 1874Republican
A. NewtonMarch 16, 1874 – 1876[6]Republican
Giles H. TurnerMarch 1876 – 1877RepublicanResigned from office[7]
George Sneer1877–1880
William H. Merritt1880–1882
P. V. Carey1882 – March 15, 1886Republican
James Harvey PhillipsMarch 15, 1886 – 1888[8]
William Lytle Carpenter[9]1888 – March 17, 1890Democratic[10]
John H. CampbellMarch 17, 1890 – April 18, 1892[11]Republican
C. C. LaneApril 18, 1892 – April 16, 1894[12]Republican
Isaac L. HillisApril 16, 1894 – 1896[13]Republican
John MacVicar1896 – April 2, 1900
Jeremiah J. HartenbowerApril 2, 1900 – 1902[14]
James M. Brenton1902–1904
George W. Mattern1904 – April 6, 1908
Adoniram Judson MathisApril 6, 1908 – April 4, 1910[15]
James R. HannaApril 4, 1910 – April 3, 1916[16]
John MacVicarApril 3, 1916 – 1918[17]
Thomas Fairweather1918–1920
H. H. Barton1920–1922
C. M. Garver1922 – April 5, 1926
Fred H. HunterApril 5, 1926 – April 2, 1928[18]
John MacVicar†April 2, 1928 – November 15, 1928[19][20]Died in office
E. H. MulockNovember 24, 1928 – 1930[21]
Parker L. Crouch1930–1932
Dwight N. Lewis1932–1936
Joseph Holmes Allen[22]1936–1938
Dwight N. Lewis†1938 – May 1, 1938[23]Died in office
Mark L. Conkling1938–1942
John MacVicar Jr.1942–1948
Heck Ross1948–1950
A. B. Chambers1950–1952
Allan W. Denny1952–1954
Joseph Van Dresser1954–1956
Ray Mills1956–1958
Charles F. Iles1958–1960
Reinhold O. Carlson1960–1962
Charles F. Iles1962–1966
George C. Whitmer1966–1968
Thomas N. Urban1968–1972[24]
Richard E. Olson1972–1980
Pete Crivaro†1980 – December 24, 1986[25]Died in office
George NahasJanuary 7, 1987 – April 15, 1987Long term former councilmember appointed by the city council on January 7, 1987, to serve as mayor until the November election[26] but citizens secured sufficient votes to force a special election.
Nahas served four months as mayor.[27] First Lebanese mayor.[27]
John "Pat" DorrianApril 15, 1987 – 1995Won a special election on April 14, 1987, and sworn on April 15, 1987. Reelected in the November 1987 general election.
Arthur Davis†1995–1997Died in office
Robert D. Ray1997RepublicanFormer governor Ray served as interim mayor after the death of Davis
Preston Daniels1997–2004DemocraticFirst African American mayor
Frank Cownie2004–2024
Connie BoesenJanuary 2, 2024 – Present

See also

Notes

Works cited
  • The History of Polk County, Iowa. Union Historical Company. 1880. pp. 670–676. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  • Dixon, J. M (1876). Centennial history of Polk County, Iowa. Des Moines State Register, Print. p. 259.
  • Revised Ordinances of the City of Des Moines. Register & Tribune Company. 1916. pp. 43–60.
  • "Local goverment [sic]; Mayors of noteworthy cities of the United States". Notable names in American history; a tabulated register. James T. White & Co. 1973. p. 453. ISBN 0-88371-002-1.

References
  1. "The Rev. Bird named D.M.'s first mayor". The Des Moines Register. 20 May 1993. pp. 2Q–5Q. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  2. Porter, Will (1898). Annals of Polk County, Iowa, and City of Des Moines. Geo. A. Miller printing Company. p. 650. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  3. Andrews, Lorenzo F. (1908). Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa: And Reminiscences of Early Days, Volume 1. Baker-Trisler Company. pp. 322–323.
  4. Andrews 1908, p. 418.
  5. Andrews 1908, p. 286.
  6. "City Council.; Last Session of Old Council—First Regular Meeting of New Council". The Iowa State Register. 17 March 1874. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  7. Porter 1898, p. 715.
  8. "Our New Servants.; Mayor Phillips Assumed Reins of Government Yesterday". The Des Moines Register. 16 March 1886. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  9. Portrait and biographical album of Polk County, Iowa. Chicago: Lake City Publishing. 1890. p. 264. OL 23326400M.
  10. Porter 1898, p. 487.
  11. "Des Moines' New City Government". Sioux City Journal. 18 March 1890. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  12. "Mayor Lane of Des Moines Appoints his Officers". Ceder Repids Gazette. 19 April 1892. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  13. "Des Moines' New Council Goes In". Sioux City Journal. 17 April 1894. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  14. "The city has new mayor". The Des Moines Register. 3 April 1900. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  15. "New Officials at Des Moines remove police; First act of new administration is to discharge Chief of Police, Captain and two Detectives". Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. 7 April 1908. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  16. "New Council Organizes; Mathis out". Des Moines Tribune. 4 April 1910. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  17. "New Council Sworn in". Sioux City Journal. 4 April 1916. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  18. "Hunter Regime in Power With Few Changes". The Des Moines Register. 6 April 1926. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  19. Churchill, G. W. (2 April 1928). "Test of Mayor's Pact With Mitchell May Come Thursday". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  20. Beam, Patrice K. "John MacVicar – The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa". uipress.lib.uiowa.edu. University of Iowa Press. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  21. "Mayor is Appointed". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. Associated Press. 24 November 1928. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  22. "Senator Joseph Holmes Allen". Iowa Legislators Past and Present. Iowa Legislative Services Agency.
  23. "Mayor Dwight N. Lewis dies; Heart Attack fatal at Home". The Des Moines Register. 1 May 1938. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  24. Yin, Victoria (12 July 2020). "Former Des Moines Mayor Thomas Urban dead at age 86". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  25. "Des Moines Mayor Dead at 73". Associated Press. 25 December 1986. Archived from the original on 5 July 2020.
  26. "Newly Appointed Mayor George Nahas". Ottumwa Courier. January 7, 1987 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
  27. Osher, Chris (February 2, 1994). "Former City Council member Nahas dies". The Des Moines Register – via Newspapers.com.
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