Mayors of Louisville

The history of Louisville as a city may be said to have begun on the 13th day of February, 1828, the date of the first city charter. From the time of its first organization as a village, February 7, 1781, until its incorporation as a city, it had been governed by trustees, but when its growth and commercial importance demanded the change of its government, it was erected into a city of five wards and placed under the government of a mayor and city council, the later being composed of ten members, two from each ward. From: Memorial History of Louisville, 1896, Volume 1, page 77 by J. Stoddard Johnson. The first election under the Act of Incorporation took place on the first Monday in March 1828. On January 6, 2003, the city and county governments merged.

Mayor                                       Term of Office
John C. Bucklin          March 1828-1833
John Joyes               1834-35
W.A. Cocke,              1836
Frederick A. Kaye        1837-40
David L. Beatty          1841-43
Frederick A. Kaye        1844-46
William R. Vance         1847-49
John M. Delph            1850-52
James S. Speed           1853-54
John Barbee              1855-56
S. Pilcher               1857-Aug.1858
Thomas W. Riley          Aug.1858-1859
T.H. Crawford            1859-60
John M. Delph            1861-62
Willliam Kaye            1863-64
Phil. Tomppert           1865-Dec.1865
James S. Lithgow         Dec. 1865-Feb.1867
Phil. Tomppert           Feb. 1867-1868
Joseph H. Bunce          1869
John G. Baxter           1870-72
Charles D. Jacob         1873-78
John G. Baxter           1879-81
Charles D. Jacob         1882-84
P. Booker Reed           1885-87
Charles D. Jacob         1888-90
William L. Lyons         May 12, 1890 (pro tem)
Henry S. Tyler           1891-Jan. 14, 1896
Robert Emmet King        Jan.14, 1896-Jan.31, 1896 (pro tem)
George D. Todd           Jan.31, 1896-Nov.1897
Charles P. Weaver        Nov.1897-Nov.1901
Charles F. Grainger      Nov.1901-Nov.1905
Paul C. Barth;           Nov. 1905-July 1907
Robert W. Bingham        July 1907-Nov.1907
James E. Grinstead       Nov.1907-Nov.1909
William O. Head          Nov.1909-Nov.1913
John H. Buschemeyer      Nov.1913-Nov.1917
George Weissinger Smith  Nov.1917-Nov.1921
Huston Quin              Nov.1921-Nov.1925
Arthur A. Will           Nov.1925-June 1927
Joseph T. O'Neal         June 1927-Nov.1927
Willliam B. Harrison     Nov. 1927-Nov.1933
Neville Miller           Nov.1933-Nov.1937
Joseph D. Scholtz        Nov.1937-Nov.1941
Wilson W. Wyatt          Nov.1941-Nov.1945
E. Leland Taylor         Nov.1945-Feb.1948
Charles P. Farnsley      Feb.1948-Nov.1953
Andrew Broaddus          Nov. 1953-Nov.1957
Bruce Hoblitzell         Nov. 1957-Nov.1961
William O. Cowger        Nov.1961-Nov.1965
Kenneth Albert Schmied   Nov.1965-Nov.1969
Frank L. Burke           Nov. 1969-1973
Harvey I. Sloane         Nov.1973-Nov.1977
William B. Stansbury     Nov. 1977-1981
Harvey I. Sloane         1981-1985
Jerry E. Abramson        1986-1999
David Armstrong          1999-2003
Jerry E. Abramson        2003-
The list of mayors comes from a variety of sources including A Brief History: The Town and City of Louisville and a list compiled by the Louisville Urban Volunteers. Other Related Information: Louisville
Other Related Information: Louisville History
Other Related Information: Louisville Government Updated: April 3, 2006