Harvey Gantt
| Harvey Gantt | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of the City of Charlotte | |
|
In office 1983–1987 |
|
| Preceded by | Eddie Knox |
| Succeeded by | Sue Myrick |
| Charlotte City Council | |
|
In office 1974–1983 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harvey Bernard Gantt 1943 (age 73–74) Charleston, South Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Alma mater | Clemson University |
Harvey Bernard Gantt (born 1943) is an American architect and Democratic politician active in North Carolina. The first African-American student to be admitted to Clemson University after attending Iowa State University, Gantt graduated with honors in architecture, earned a master's at MIT, and established a practice in Charlotte with a partner.
Gantt entered local politics, where he was elected to the city council, serving from 1974 to 1983. He was elected to two terms as the first black Mayor of Charlotte from 1983 to 1987. In the 1990s, he ran twice for the United States Senate against Jesse Helms, losing both times.
Gantt was born in Charleston, South Carolina to Wilhelminia and Christopher C. Gantt, a shipyard worker. He started to participate in civil rights activism in high school. In 1963, he was the first African American to be admitted to Clemson University in South Carolina. He received a degree in architecture with Honors from Clemson and a Master's degree in City Planning from MIT.
From 1974 until 1983, Gantt served on the Charlotte City Council. He was elected to two terms as the first African-American mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, serving in that position from 1983 to 1987. He was defeated for a third term as mayor in 1987 by Sue Myrick. A Democrat, in the 1990s, he staged two unsuccessful U.S. Senatorial campaigns against Republican Jesse Helms in 1990 and in 1996, gaining 47% and 46% of the vote, respectively.
...
Wikipedia