George Sharrock

George Sharrock
Mayor of Anchorage
In office 1961–1964
Preceded by	George Byer
Succeeded by	Elmer E. Rasmuson

George Ormand Sharrock (May 2, 1910 – March 6, 2005) was Mayor of Anchorage from 1961 to 1964. He is sometimes known as "The Earthquake Mayor" for having been in office during the devastating Good Friday earthquake of 1964, and for his work in the aftermath.

Biography

George Sharrock was born May 2, 1910 in Zanesville, Ohio. He grew up in Canton, Ohio, where he attended Stark Elementary School and graduated from McKinley High School. After spending a number of years as a factory supervisor in Ypsilanti, Michigan, he came to Alaska in 1947 to work for Pacific Northern Airlines, which was later merged into Western Airlines.

He served on the Anchorage City Council from 1959 to 1961, when he was elected mayor. In the wake of the earthquake, he decided not to run for re-election. In 1972, he was appointed Commissioner of Commerce by Governor Walter Hickel. In 1969, he was appointed Chairman of the Federal Field Committee for Development Planning in Alaska by President Richard Nixon.

He died from complications of a fall March 6, 2005 at the age of 94. He had a son, Patrick and a daughter, Diane, with his wife, Pauline.

References

• Obituaries (Anchorage Daily News and Municipality of Anchorage)