Bob Lanier (politician)
| Bob Lanier | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 58th Mayor of Houston | |
|
In office January 2, 1992 – January 2, 1998 |
|
| Preceded by | Kathryn Whitmire |
| Succeeded by | Lee Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 10, 1925 Baytown, Texas |
| Died | December 20, 2014 (aged 89) Houston, Texas |
| Resting place | Houston, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Elyse Lanier |
| Children | 7 |
| Alma mater | University of Texas |
| Profession | Banker, Attorney, Real Estate Developer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Robert Clayton "Bob" Lanier (March 10, 1925 – December 20, 2014) was an American businessman and politician. He served as mayor of the city of Houston, Texas from 1992 to 1998. At the time of his death, he was Houston's oldest living mayor.
Lanier was elected mayor of Houston in 1991, 1993, and 1995, until term limits, enacted in 1991 and reinforced in 1994 by a grass-roots citizen initiative spearheaded by the conservative political activist Clymer Wright, prevented his candidacy in 1997. Lanier averaged 88 percent in his re-election races, with strong support in each political party and ethnic group. As mayor, he was affectionately referred to as "Mayor Bob."
Born to working class parents in the refinery town of Baytown, Texas in 1925, Lanier was a child of the Great Depression who was greatly influenced by Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s policies. Lanier worked while attending college and started his career as a suma cum laude graduate from the University of Texas Law School in 1949. Initially employed by Baker & Botts law firm, Lanier practiced for a decade before switching gears to pursue a business career.
During that business career he worked in banking and eventually established himself as a major Houston real estate developer, focusing mostly on subdivisions and apartments.
In the 1991 Houston Mayoral election, most white voters of all economic levels voted for Lanier. His strongest tallies came from affluent neighborhoods like River Oaks, Meyerland, Uptown, Memorial and Sharpstown; in those areas he won with 60 to 65 percent or more of the vote. Lanier won 75 percent of the votes in his home Houston precinct. In racially mixed areas such as Westbury and Alief, Lanier had the majority of votes with his main opponent, Sylvester Turner, having finished in a close second place. Lanier did not win in Montrose and many African-American neighborhoods.
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