Clarence Harmon
44th Mayor of St. Louis
In office
April 15, 1997 – April 17, 2001
Preceded byFreeman Bosley Jr.
Succeeded byFrancis Slay
30th Commissioner of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
In office
January 1992 – January 1995
Appointed byVincent C. Schoemehl
Preceded byRobert Scheetz
Succeeded byRon Henderson
Personal details
Born1940 (age 83–84)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
SpouseJanet Kelley
Children4
Alma materWebster University
Truman State University
ProfessionPolitician, police chief

Clarence Harmon (born 1940) was the 44th Mayor of St. Louis (from 1997 to 2001), and the city's second African-American mayor.

Early life and education

Harmon was born to a Baptist family, and the only boy out of three children. His father was a cook on a railway, while his mother was a nurse. As a boy, Harmon was converted to Catholicism in order to attend the McBride High School, a boys-only institution. After graduating from it, he served in the US Army in the 101st Airborne Division and then got enrolled into Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University).[1]

Career

Prior to serving as Mayor, Harmon had served as Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis's 30th Commissioner of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department between the years 1991 and 1995, becoming the first African American to do so.[2] During the time as Police Commissioner his duty was to patrol Fox Park, St. Louis, which was crime infested, but in 30 days time, the city's crime dropped 47%.[1]

He defeated incumbent Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. in the Democratic Primary in 1997 and went on to win election by a wide margin in the general election.[3] Following his victory, Harmon shouted "Tear down the walls of isolation, St. Louis!", calling for the unity and racial healing.[4] Harmon was defeated for re-election in the 2001 Democratic Primary.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Jeannette Cooperman (November 29, 2012). "A Conversation with Clarence Harmon". St. Louis Magazine.
  2. ^ "ST LOUIS POLICE VETERan's HISTORICAL PHOTO EARLY BLACK HISTORY SAINT LOUIS of the ST LOUIS POLICE DEPARTMENT MISSOURI". www.slpva.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Former Police Chief Elected St. Louis Mayor". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 3, 1997. p. 22.
  4. ^ Jo Mannies (April 16, 1997). "Harmon Urges Unity Speech Calls for Regional, Racial Healing". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.[dead link]
  5. ^ D.J. Wilson (January 3, 2001). "The New Wisdom of Boz". Riverfront Times. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  • St. Louis Public Library
  • Schlinkmann, Mark (April 18, 2001). "Slay Is Sworn in as St. Louis' 45th Mayor". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. A1.
Political offices Preceded byRobert Scheetz Metropolitan Police Commissioner 1991–1995 Succeeded byRon Henderson Preceded byFreeman Bosley Jr. Mayor of St. Louis 1997–2001 Succeeded byFrancis Slay


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