Emory Folmar
| Emory McCord Folmar | |
|---|---|
| 54th Mayor of Montgomery | |
|
In office 1977–1999 |
|
| Preceded by | Jim Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Bobby Bright |
| Member of the Montgomery City Council | |
|
In office 1975–1977 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 3, 1930 Pike County, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | November 11, 2011 (aged 81) Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Gubernatorial nominee, 1982 |
| Spouse(s) | Anita Folmar |
| Alma mater | University of Alabama |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
Emory McCord Folmar (June 3, 1930 – November 11, 2011) was the mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, from 1977 to 1999. Although the mayor's office is nonpartisan, Folmar was known to be a Republican.
Folmar was born in Pike County near Montgomery. He attended school in Pike County and then Montgomery. He was a United States Army ranger and a veteran of the Korean War. He thereafter graduated from The University of Alabama with a degree in business. He entered politics in 1975 by winning election to the Montgomery City Council. He soon became the council president. He then ascended to the mayor's office after a scandal forced the resignations of the sitting mayor and public safety director and the subsequent resignations or terminations of a number of police officers and supervisors. He remained in office from 1977 to 1999.
Although the city's elected positions are nonpartisan, Folmar was unabashedly a conservative Republican. He served as the chairman of the Alabama Republican Party and received several, primarily honorary political appointments from Republican U.S. Presidents Ronald W. Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He was named "Civilian Aide" to the United States Secretary of the Army. The appointment carries the protocol weight of a four-star general, and Folmar took the position seriously. He even had a set of combat fatigues personalized with his name and the words "Civilian Aide" embroidered on the collar where a soldier's rank was displayed at the time.
He was defeated in 1999 by political newcomer, attorney Bobby Bright, in an election that stunned many in the community who thought Folmar's re-election likely. Bright later served one term in the United States House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011. After leaving the city limelight, Folmar went into a mobile document shredding venture before being appointed in 2003 by Governor Bob Riley to run the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board where he served a relatively quiet tenure as the agency's commissioner until Riley left office early in 2011. Folomar battled cancer and other health ailments in recent years before he died at the family home on the evening of November 11, 2011. On the night of Folmar's death, current Mayor Todd Strange lauded the former city leader as his mentor, inspiration, a good man, a family man, a Christian and an valuable leader of the city.
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