Samuel Watkins Overton Jr. (June 5, 1894 – December 2, 1958) was an American politician and the longest-serving mayor in the history of Memphis, Tennessee.

Early life

Samuel Watkins Overton Jr. was born in Memphis on June 5, 1894 to Samuel Watkins Overton Sr. and Mary Hill Overton. Watkins Overton Jr. was also the great-great-grandson of Judge John Overton, the founder of Memphis; his grandfather also served as Mayor.^[1] Watkins Overton Jr. graduated with his AB degree from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin. During World War I, he served with the Ambulance Corps of AEF. He earned his LLB from the University of Chicago in 1921. He was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, Phi Delta Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Order of the Coif. After completing law school, Overton entered the practice of law in Memphis.^[2]

Political career

When Watkins Overton ran for Mayor of Memphis in 1927, aided by the E. H. Crump political machine,.^[1] construction of an airport was a major focus of his mayoral campaign. Overton quickly appointed an airport planning commission after his election, and on June 15, 1929, the Memphis Municipal Airport opened for business.

The city was also in debt to the amount of $900,000 when he took control of the city in 1928. During the depression, Overton managed to erase the debt and accumulate a $1 million surplus. He also successfully lobbied for federally funded projects through the WPA and PWA.^[3][4]

His second term ended in acrimony: disgusted by the City Commission, he resigned on March 1, 1953.^[5]

Watkins Overton died on December 2, 1958, in Memphis.^[6]