Henry G. Marsh
| Henry G. Marsh | |
|---|---|
| 15thMayor of Saginaw | |
|
In office April 10, 1967 – April 14, 1969 |
|
| Preceded by | James W. Stenglein |
| Succeeded by | Warren C. Light |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Henry Greene Marsh October 11, 1921 Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Died | May 11, 2011 (aged 89) Saginaw, Michigan |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth |
| Alma mater |
Wayne State University Law School Knoxville College |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank |
 Staff sergeant
|
| Unit | 3280th Quartermaster Service Company |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Henry G. Marsh (October 11, 1921 – May 11, 2011) was a Democratic politician from Michigan who served as Mayor of Saginaw, and was the first African-American to hold that office. Marsh was one of the first black mayors in the United States.
Marsh was born on October 11, 1921, in Knoxville, Tennessee to Thomas and Saidye Marsh. He attended Camden Academy and Knoxville College before being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942. Marsh served in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, arriving at the Anzio Beachhead three days before Operation Shingle. Marsh was honorably discharged in December 1945. He then returned to Knoxville College, where he served as the president of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and graduated in June 1947.
Marsh married the former Ruth Eleanor Claytor on September 1, 1948, in Roanoke, Virginia. Following their marriage, Marsh transferred from law school at the University of Michigan to the Wayne State University Law School since Ruth was a student at the University of Detroit. They had three children: Thomas, Walter, and Terésa.
Marsh graduated from law school in June 1950, and was admitted to the bar in January 1951, opening an office in Detroit where he practiced until moving to Saginaw.
Marsh moved to Saginaw and opened a law office in April 1954. When he arrived, Saginaw was segregated city where no black man had ever won elected office. (In 1955, Harry W. Browne was poised to become Saginaw's first black city councilman, but a late swell of votes swung the result toward a white candidate by 79 votes.) Marsh became chairman of the now-extinct Human Rights Commission in 1958. A frequent contributor to The Saginaw News, Marsh ran for and won a seat on Saginaw City Council in 1961. Though tradition dictated that, as the highest vote-getter, Marsh would receive the title of mayor, he did not, believing that G. Stewart Francke, whom Marsh respected, should serve as mayor considering the difficulties facing the city. Marsh was elected mayor pro tempore in 1965, a century after abolition freed his grandfather from slavery.
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