Hans Tanzler
| Hans Tanzler | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Jacksonville | |
| In office 1967 – January 2, 1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Lou Ritter |
| Succeeded by | Jake Godbold |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 11, 1927 Jacksonville, Florida |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | J.D., University of Florida, 1951 |
Hans Gearhart Tanzler, Jr. (born March 11, 1927) is a former American politician and judge. He served as Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1967 to 1979. During his administration, the City of Jacksonville consolidated with Duval County, making him the last mayor of the old city government and the first mayor of a consolidated Jacksonville. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
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[edit] Early life
Tanzler was born in Jacksonville, and he graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1945. He subsequently attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he was a stand-out player for the Florida Gators men's basketball team.[1] He earned his bachelor's degree from Florida in 1949, then his law degree in 1951.[2] He was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great".[3] After graduating Tanzler practiced law, eventually becoming a judge serving on the Criminal Court.[4]
[edit] Career
In 1967 Tanzler ran against incumbent Lou Ritter in the race for Mayor of Jacksonville. He ran on a ticket of reform as a "white hat", a supporter of consolidation of the City of Jacksonville and Duval County governments.[2][4] Tanzler defeated Ritter in the Democratic primary, virtually guaranteeing the win; he then easily defeated Republican William Hembree in the general election.[5] Two months later, on August 8, 1967, voters approved the Jacksonville Consolidation. This meant Tanzler had to stand again for mayor of the new government on September 26, however, for the first time in Jacksonville history, no one challenged him.[5] When consolidation took effect on October 1, 1968, Tanzler became the last mayor of the old city government and the first mayor of a consolidated Jacksonville.[2]
As mayor, Tanzler initiated a number of projects to revitalize Jacksonville's downtown with new revenues brought in by consolidation. Among the projects were the creation of what is now the Downtown Campus of Florida State College at Jacksonville, the construction of a large-scale public health facility, and the completion of major commercial construction projects including the skyscraper now known as the Wells Fargo Center. His most lauded contribution was his effort to clean up the St. Johns River, toward which he implemented sewage treatment and other environmental regulations.[6] Tanzler was re-elected in 1971, after defeating former Jacksonville mayor and Florida governor W. Haydon Burns, a "black hat" anti-consolidation activist, in the Democratic primary, and then easily winning the general election.[7] He was re-elected a second time in 1975, defeating Republican Don Trednick in the general election.[8]
In 1978 Tanzler announced his candidacy for Governor of Florida. He lost in a seven-way Democratic primary eventually won by Bob Graham. The run required him to step down as mayor as of January 2, 1979; Jacksonville City Council President Jake Godbold was appointed to succeed him.[9]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Schneider, Jason (April 4, 2006). "Ex-mayor a passionate Gator". The Florida Times-Union. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/040406/spg_21526685.shtml. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Hans Tanzler: Founding Father". The Florida Times-Union. April 6, 2006. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/040606/opi_21548314.shtml. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ "Gator Greats". gatorfclub.org. 2011. http://www.gatorfclub.org/hof/?p=greats. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ a b Kerr, Jessie-Lynne (August 9, 2010). "A Look Back: How the vote for consolidation defined Jacksonville". The Florida Times-Union. http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-08-09/story/vote-defined-jacksonville#ixzz1NwcVjSZ8. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ a b "Tanzler Mayor; 139 Candidates Await Election". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. September 27, 1967. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vmpQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mloDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6909,4470613&dq=hans-tanzler+hembree&hl=en. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ "History". coj.net. City of Jacksonville. 2011. http://www.coj.net/About-Jacksonville/History.aspx. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ "Why Burns Lost His Bid". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. March 5, 1971. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M04fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jtEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1461,1059516&dq=hans-tanzler+1971&hl=en. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ "Election Protest Dismissed". The Ledger. Associated Press. June 5, 1975. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Pa8wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1PoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5484,1419162&dq=hans-tanzler+1975+election&hl=en. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ "Jacksonville has a new mayor". St. Petersburg Times. January 3, 1979. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=appjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N3wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5188,1246207&dq=jake-godbold&hl=en. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lou Ritter |
Mayor of Jacksonville (Pre-Consolidation) 1967–1968 |
Succeeded by None – Last Pre-Consolidation Mayor |
| Preceded by None – First Consolidation Mayor |
Mayor of Jacksonville (Consolidated City) 1968–1979 |
Succeeded by Jake Godbold |
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