Richard Hatcher
| Richard G. Hatcher | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Gary, Indiana | |
|
In office 1968–1987 |
|
| Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee | |
|
In office 1981–1985 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard Gordon Hatcher July 10, 1933 Michigan City, Indiana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Richard Gordon Hatcher (b. July 10, 1933) became on January 1, 1968, the first African-American Mayor of Gary, Indiana. He and Carl Stokes (who was elected mayor of Cleveland on the same day) became, on November 7, 1967, the first two black mayor of cities of more than 100,000 people. Walter E. Washington had been appointed Mayor of Washington, D.C. two months earlier, in September.
Hatcher was born in Michigan City, Indiana. He received a B.S. degree in business and government from Indiana University and a bachelor of law with honors in criminal law in 1956 and a J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1959. After moving to Gary, Indiana, Hatcher began practicing law in East Chicago, Indiana. In 1961, he began serving as a deputy prosecutor for Lake County, Indiana, until he was elected to Gary's City Council in 1963. He was the first and only freshman elected president of the City Council in Gary's history.
Hatcher was inaugurated mayor of Gary in 1968 and served until 1987. During his tenure as mayor, he became internationally known as a fervent and prolific civil rights spokesman. Hatcher was known for developing innovative approaches to urban problems and for being a national and international spokesman for civil rights, minorities, the poor and America's cities. He often delivered speeches alongside Martin Luther King, Robert F. Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, and other historic proponents of the civil rights movement. On April 5, 1968, he addressed President Lyndon B. Johnson, along with a collection of politicians and civil rights leaders, on the topic of the King assassination the night before and pending civil unrest.
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