William b hartsfield biography of rory

American politician & Atlanta Mayor

William Berry Hartsfield Sr. (March 1, – February 22, ), was an American politician who served as the 49th and 51st Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.

His tenure extended from to and again from to , making him the longest-serving mayor of his native Atlanta, Georgia.^[1]

Early career

Hartsfield worked as a clerk while reading law for the law firm of Rosser, Brandon, Slaton & Phillips beginning in ^[2] Hartsfield entered politics in by winning a city alderman seat.^[1] He served two terms in the Georgia House of Representatives during the s.^[1]

Mayor of Atlanta

William B.

Hartsfield was first elected Mayor of Atlanta in January ^[1] Upon taking office, the city was $3 million in debt, due to the Great Depression.^[1] Hartsfield quickly turned around the city's finances, but lost re-election in ^[1] The man who defeated Hartsfield, Roy LeCraw, served