James Hugh Joseph Tate (April 10, 1910 – May 27, 1983) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 92nd Mayor of Philadelphia from 1962 to 1972.[2] He was also a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Philadelphia City Council. He was the first Roman Catholic to serve as mayor of Philadelphia.
James Tate | |
|---|---|
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| 92nd Mayor of Philadelphia | |
| In office February 12, 1962 – January 3, 1972 [a] | |
| Preceded by | Richardson Dilworth |
| Succeeded by | Frank Rizzo |
| 28th President of the United States Conference of Mayors | |
| In office 1970–1971 | |
| Preceded by | Jack D. Maltester |
| Succeeded by | Henry Maier |
| President of the Philadelphia City Council | |
| In office January 20, 1955[1] – January 6, 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Himself[b] |
| Succeeded by | Paul D'Ortona |
| President pro tempore of the Philadelphia City Council | |
| In office January 4, 1954 – January 20, 1955 | |
| Preceded by | James A. Finnegan[c] |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 7th district | |
| In office January 7, 1952 – January 6, 1964 | |
| Preceded by | John F. Byrne |
| Succeeded by | Joseph J. Hersch |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the Philadelphia County district | |
| In office January 7, 1941 – November 30, 1946 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 10, 1910 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 27, 1983 (aged 73) Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Temple University (LLB) |
| a.^ Acting Mayor from February 12, 1962, through January 6, 1964. b.^ As President of the City Council. c.^ As Council President. | |
Biography
editEarly life and career
editHe was born on April 10, 1910, in Philadelphia. He received his Bachelor of Laws from Temple University in 1938 and clerked for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.[3][4]
He was active in Democratic Party politics and, in 1941, won a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to an at-large seat for Philadelphia County. He won re-election to the House in 1943 and 1945. In 1951, he won a seat on the Philadelphia City Council and became the President pro tempore in 1954, which became the council president in 1955. He held that position for nearly 10 years.[3]
Mayor of Philadelphia
editMayor Richardson Dilworth resigned his post in 1962 in order to make a second run for Governor in that fall's general election. As the city council president, Tate became acting mayor upon Dilworth's resignation. He went on to win two terms in his own right, in 1963 and 1967.[4] As a result, he is to date the second longest serving mayor.
In 1963, he defeated Republican James McDermott with 54% of the vote.[5] He fended off a protest by the Congress of Racial Equality by stopping construction of the Philadelphia Municipal Services Building until more black workers were hired.[4]
In 1967, he appointed Frank Rizzo as the police commissioner.[6] He defeated District Attorney Arlen Specter in 1967 by fewer than 12,000 votes.[5]
In 1970 and 1971, Tate served as the president of the United States Conference of Mayors.[7]
Later life and death
editTowards the end of his life, Tate lived in Longport, New Jersey.
Tate died of an apparent myocardial infarction in Somers Point, aged 73.[8][9]
References
edit- ^ "Administration of James H. J. Tate". Mayor's Correspondence and Files. The City of Philadelphia: Department of Records. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- ^ "Ex-Philly Mayor James Tate Dies." Scranton, Pennsylvania: Scrantonian Tribune, May 29, 1983, p. 2 (subscription required).
- ^ a b "JAMES H. J. TATE". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ a b c "James Tate of Philadelphia; Held Mayor's Post in 1962-72". New York Times. May 29, 1983.
- ^ a b "Mayors of Philadelphia". City of Philadelphia. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ^ "Rizzo Resigns to Run for Mayor of Philadelphia". New York Times. February 3, 1971.
- ^ "Leadership". The United States Conference of Mayors. November 23, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ Kennedy, Shawn G. (May 29, 1983). "James Tate of Philadelphia; Held Mayor's Post in 1962-72". The New York Times. p. 1.32.
- ^ "Ex-Philly Mayor James Tate Dies", Scrantonian Tribune, May 29, 1983.
Further reading
edit- Jenny DeHuff, "Pop quiz: Who was the city's first Catholic mayor?" PhillyVoice (Dec. 1, 2016) online
External links
edit- Description of James H. J. Tate archives at City of Philadelphia website