Richard Hatcher (1933–2019), one of the first black mayors of a major U.S. city

Richard Hatcher was the mayor of Gary, Indiana, for 20 years, from 1968 to 1988. When he was elected in 1967, he became one of the first African Americans to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city, and the first to be elected to the office rather than appointed. As mayor, Hatcher took on problems in the city including prostitution and illegal gambling, though his successes there couldn’t overcome problems including the steep decline of the city’s steel industry in the 1970s and ‘80s. Hatcher brought the National Black Political Convention to Gary in 1972, and he was a national voice for civil rights. He served as chairman of Jesse Jackson’s 1984 presidential campaign and was vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1981 to 1985.