Richardson Dilworth
| Richardson Dilworth | |
|---|---|
Dilworth in 1961
|
|
| 117th Mayor of Philadelphia | |
|
In office January 2, 1956 – February 12, 1962 |
|
| Preceded by | Joe Clark |
| Succeeded by | James Tate |
| 16th District Attorney of Philadelphia | |
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In office January 7, 1952 – January 2, 1956 |
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| Preceded by | John Maurer |
| Succeeded by | Victor Blanc |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 29, 1898 Pittsburgh |
| Died | January 23, 1974 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Elizabeth Kaufman |
| Children | Deborah and Richardson, Jr. |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
Richardson K. Dilworth (August 29, 1898 – January 23, 1974) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 117th Mayor of Philadelphia from 1956 to 1962. He twice ran as the Democratic nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania, in 1950 and in 1962.
He was born in Pittsburgh to Joseph Richardson Dilworth and Annie Hunter (Wood) Dilworth. In 1921 he graduated from Yale University, where he was a member of Scroll and Key and Delta Kappa Epsilon, and lettered for the varsity football team. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in World Wars I and was commissioned as a officer in World War II. In 1938, he joined the law firm of Dilworth Paxson. On August 6, 1935, he married Ann Elizabeth Kaufman. They had a daughter, Deborah, and a son, Richardson, Jr.
Dilworth had grown up as a Republican, but became a Democrat out of frustration with the city's longstanding Republican machine. Along with Joe Clark and others, he was at the forefront of a post-World War II reform movement in Philadelphia that led to the adoption of a modern city charter that consolidated city and county offices and introduced civil service examinations on a broad scale to replace much of the existing patronage system.
Dilworth initially ran for mayor in 1947 against incumbent Republican Barney Samuel. Samuel was seeking his second full term in office, after assuming office following the death of Robert Lamberton in 1941. Dilworth was ultimately defeated by over 90,000 votes; however, the election marked the last time, to date, that a Republican was elected Mayor of Philadelphia. In 1949, he was elected City Treasurer, while Clark was elected City Controller. Dilworth ran for Governor, losing a close election in 1950 to John Fine. In 1951, he was elected Philadelphia District Attorney, while Clark was elected Mayor. Clark and Dilworth's inaugurations ended a 67-year period of uninterrupted Republican control of the city (and instituted a period of uninterrupted Democratic control which has persisted past the year 2017). In 1955, Dilworth was elected Mayor, defeating Thacher Longstreth.
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