Beverly Briley

Clifton Beverly Briley (January 11, 1914 – September 14, 1980) was an American attorney and politician, the first mayor of the newly consolidated metropolitan government of Nashville and Davidson County in Tennessee. Elected to the mayor's position in 1962 as a Democrat, Briley served three terms from 1963 to 1975; he was prevented by term limits from running again. He had previously served as county judge (chief executive) of Davidson County for several terms, from 1950 to 1963.

Briley was born in West Nashville, Tennessee in 1914. Attending local schools, he became involved in Scouting as a boy and attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

He gained early admission to Vanderbilt University and Cumberland Law School. In 1932, at the age of eighteen, he became the youngest Tennessean ever admitted to the bar. He began practicing later that year and quickly made a name for himself.

In 1934, Briley married Dorothy Gordon. They had two children together, Cliff and Diane. Briley served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a quartermaster aboard the USS David Taylor.

After the war, he ran a successful campaign for county judge (chief executive) of Davidson County in 1950, serving until 1963.

Briley was a champion of metropolitan government and supported the merger of Nashville and Davidson County government. In 1963 he won election against Davidson County tax assessor Clifford Allen, another longtime Nashville politician, and became the first mayor of what is known as Metro Nashville. In 1966, his main opponent was Ben West, the former mayor of the earlier City of Nashville municipal government. Briley won the election in a runoff. Briley was reelected in 1970, also in a runoff. He was prevented by term limits from running again in 1974.

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