Mayors of Pittsburgh

The Honorable Ebenezer Denny

Term: 1816-1817

Born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania - Denny led the Pennsylvania Regiment in the Revolutionary War and was at Yorktown when Cornwall surrendered. Denny was elected County Commissioner in 1797 and became a prosperous merchant. In 1816 when the Borough of Pittsburgh became a City, the Select and Common Council chose Denny as Pittsburgh’s first Mayor. Mayor Denny chose not to seek a second term, preferring to return to his business affairs.

 

The Honorable John Darraugh

No known likeness survives.

Term: 1817-1825

An Irish-born merchant, Darraugh was a local businessman. He with others founded The Bank of Pittsburgh. Darraugh was Burgess of the Borough of Pittsburgh when it became a City. After Mayor Denny refused a second one-year term, Darraugh accepted the position. He remained in office until 1825 when a new law forbade bank directors from holding executive office. During his tenure, Darraughhad continued to serve as President of the Bank of Pittsburgh.

 

The Honorable John M. Snowden

Term: 1825-1828

A printer, Snowden arrived in Pittsburgh in 1811. He was elected to borough Council in 1813 and when Mayor Darraugh resigned, Council chose Snowden to be Mayor. During his term, two large ponds in Downtown Pittsburgh were drained and streets were improved. Twelve years after he retired as Mayor, Snowden became an associate judge.

 

The Honorable Magnus M. Murray

Term: 1828-1830 & 1831-1832

Mayor Murray was one of the handful of Pittsburgh Mayor’s to serve two nonconsecutive terms. During his first term the first waterworks, a reservoir on Grant's Hill, and new wharfs were built.

During his second, a plan to light city streets with gas was defeated by public outrage when Select Council members bought all the stock in in the firm the named to accomplish the work. When Council passed a law allowing dogs without collars to be shot on sight, Murray opposed the move and suggested that the number of dogs could be reduced more effectively by taxation.

Both Mayor Murray’s son-in-law - John Guthrie, and grandson - George Guthrie, served as Mayor decades later.

 

The Honorable Matthew B. Lowrie

Term: 1830-1831

Mayor Lowrie came to the Mayor’s Office when anti-secret society hysteria prevented Murray, a Mason from keeping office. Notably, the first “wards” were established in Pittsburgh under his tenure.

 

The Honorable Samuel Pettigrew

Term: 1832-1836

Mayor Pettigrew was the last Mayor named by City Council and the first elected by popular election.

During his tenure, the waterworks began to draw water from the Allegheny River instead of wells that often went dry. In 1832 and 1833 a cholera epidemic hit Pittsburgh. In 1834, the Gas Works wereestablished, and the first public school opened with five pupils. Pettigrew also asked Council to appoint a joint committee to hire a police force.

 

The Honorable Jonas R. McClintock

Term: 1836-1839

McClintock was the first Mayor to try and expand the role of the office toward that of a true executive.

A native Pittsburgher and physician who became a hero during the cholera epidemic, in 1834 he was elected to the Common Council and was its President the following year. A year later he became Pittsburgh’s Mayor. Although his relationship with Council was poor, he fought to create the first 18 member police force. During his time in office the city enlarged itself for the first time with the annexation of the Northern Liberties Borough.

 

The Honorable William Little

Term: 1839 – 1840

William Little was the anti-establishment candidate of Pittsburgh’s youthful but powerful volunteer fire companies. Unable to work with City Council, Mayor Little refused to run for a second term. Later in life Little would be appointed a United States Assessor by President Lincoln.

He was also the Secretary and Treasurer of the Pittsburgh National Bank, the ancestor of today’s PNC Financial Corporation.

 

The Honorable William W. Irwin

Term: 1840 – 1841

A lawyer born in Pittsburgh to wealthy parents, Irwin ran unsuccessfully for Mayor three times before winning his single term. During Mayor Irwin’s last month in office, he served both as Mayor and as a member of the United States Congress.

 

The Honorable James Thomson

Term: 1841 – 1842

A clockmaker from Franklin County, Thomson became a builder of steam engines used by boats and area mills. After his single term as Mayor, he went into the manufacturing of freight cars and in 1853, he was Chief Engineer of the Pittsburgh Gas Works.

 

The Honorable Alexander Hay

No known likeness survives.

Term: 1842 – 1845

Hay became Mayor through the inability of Mayor Thomson to win the endorsement and a three-way race for the office. Hay won two more terms by narrow margins before coming in third place when he sought a fourth term. In his first year in office, he hired more police officers over Council’s opposition.

 

The Honorable William J. Howard

Term: 1845 – 1846

A businessman, Howard won his single term of office by 29 votes in a four-candidate race. Success was attributed to his campaign theme to keep the Bible as a textbook in the schools. Howard’s term in office could not be considered a success, since over a third of the city burned down in the Great Fire of 1845 four months after he took office.

 

The Honorable William Kerr

No known likeness survives.

Term: 1846 – 1847

A doctor, Kerr married a daughter of former Mayor Snowden and became Mayor eight months after the great fire. Kerr’s term was dedicated to rebuilding.

 

The Honorable Gabriel Adams

No known likeness survives.

Term: 1847 – 1849

A wholesale grocer, Adams suffered financial ruin that cost him his home and business. An easy winner for his first term when Mayor Kerr refused to seek another term, Adams faced serious challenges a year later. Adams ran on the platform that with the salary of Mayor he would be able to pay off his debts, while his opponents were rich men. He was elected by 96 votes. After leaving office, he became an Associate Judge of the Common Pleas Court in 1852.

 

The Honorable John Herron

Term: 1849 – 1850

A hero in the Mexican War, Herron returned to Pittsburgh in time to capitalize on his popularity by being elected Mayor in a field of seven candidates. Other than an effort by his clergyman father to close down Sunday liquor sales, little happened during the Herron Administration and he did not seek a second term. Notably, Pittsburgh’s Herron Hill Junior High School, today the Pittsburgh Milliones School, was built on the land of his estate.

 

The Honorable Joseph Barker

Term: 1850 – 1851

An unordained preacher, Barker was appointed a street commissioner in 1839. Barker turned to preaching in the streets, an anti-Catholicism doctrine, that caused him to be arrested numerous times. When sentenced to a year in jail, Barker told the jury to “go to hell” and threatened the judge with hanging. Pittsburgh embraced Barker, electing him their Mayor. Through the effort of a mob, the judge who sentenced him was forced to administer the oath of office. Judge Benjamin Potham, then resigned and moved to Ohio. Barker’s term was marked by an ongoing fight with Council over the police that resulted in Council and the Mayor appointing separate forces that spent much of their time arresting each other.

Until he was run over by a train in 1862, Barker repeatedly sought reelection without success.

 

The Honorable John B. Guthrie

Term: 1851 – 1853

President Andrew Jackson named Guthrie Commissioner of Emigration of Indians for Southern States in 1836. Guthrie helped oversee “The Trail of Tears” that forced the Cherokee and other Native Americas of the Deep South to walk to government reservations. As a reward he became Collector of Customs for the Port of Pittsburgh in 1845.

 

The Honorable Robert M. Riddle

No known likeness survives.

Term: 1853 – 1854

The son of a judge, Riddle tried his hand as a storekeeper, banker, and finally editor of what became the Commercial Journal. With the help of his brother-in-law Judge Charles L. Schaler , volunteer fire companies, and former Mayor Barker, Riddle defeated Mayor Guthrie and served a single term as notable as business career.

 

The Honorable Ferdinand E. Volz

No known likeness survives.

Term: 1854 – 1856

As Mayor, Volz succeeded in reducing the number of pigs allowed to run loose on City streets. His first term was also marked by a cholera epidemic that killed almost 500 citizens. The city however, kept the exact number secret in order to prevent a general panic. From May to December 1854 a severe drought parched the region, Volz was defeated for a third term.

 

The Honorable William Bingham

Term: 1856 – 1857

An agent for canal and steamboat freight carriers, Bingham ran for Mayor of the Native American Party candidate in a five-candidate field. Bingham’s surprise at his victory was so great, his inaugural remarks were spent describing his unfamiliarity with his new duties.

 

The Honorable Henry A. Weaver

Term: 1857 – 1860

A successful coal merchant, Weaver was an early supporter of the New Republican Party. A year after election to Pittsburgh’s Select Council, he was a delegate to the 1856 Republican Convention. While republicans didn’t fare well nationally in that election, they were a success in Pittsburgh and Weaver became the first of seventeen republican Mayors. During his first year in office, the first railroad bridge was built across the Allegheny River to bring the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroads into the city. Through the act of legislature, the Mayor’s term was extended to two years and Weaver became the only Mayor to serve both a one and two year term.

 

The Honorable George Wilson

Term: 1860 – 1862

Pittsburgh’s second republican Mayor, Wilson was also the city’s first Civil War Mayor. Abraham Lincoln acknowledging the vote he received from the city, stopped in Pittsburgh on his way to his inauguration.

 

The Honorable Benair C. Sawyer

Term: 1862 – 1864

A soap manufacturer, Benair Sawyer served on the Select and Common Councils while he made repeated efforts to win the Mayor’s Office. A republican, Sawyer was denied a second term after rumors of scandals in his office prevented him from winning.

 

The Honorable James Lowry

Term: 1864 – 1866

Owner of a foundry, Lowry was an early member of the Republican Party. Because of the corruption of the last administration, Lowry ran under an independent banner of Union City. He easily won and dedicated his term to aiding wounded soldiers and those recruits passing through the city on their way to the battlefields.

Lowry went on to be elected to Allegheny County Coroner.

 

The Honorable William C. McCarthy

Term: 1866-1868 and 1875 – 1878

“Roaring Bill” McCarthy, a pressman, and volunteer firefighter, was a prominent republican who defeated Lowry for the nomination. During his first term, Pittsburgh annexed numerous boroughs, including Lawrenceville and Oakland. Years later, he won a second term in 1874, by falsely charging his democratic opponent, former Mayor John Guthrie was a traitor. The Act of 1874 created the administrative departments of Public Works, Public Safety, Parks, Finance, Law and Public Instruction.

In 1878 he was elected City Controller and later served as a Councilman.

 

The Honorable James Blackmore

Term: 1868 – 1869 and 1872 – 1875

A democrat, James Blackmore defeated J. W. Riddle for Mayor. Not content to let Blackmore serve out his two-year term, the State Republicans passed a law that changed the office to a three-year term and thus removed Blackmore from office. He regained the office three years later and was again met by fierce opposition.

 

The Honorable Jared M. Brush

Term: 1869 – 1872

A carpenter turned iron maker; Brush was one of the early republican members of the Magee-Flinn Ring. After ousting Mayor Blackmore, Brush and the ring members began major public improvements including street construction and a new City Hall on Smithfield Street. In 1870 the first professional Fire Department was formed. Because of the Ripper Bill that created the three-year term forbade Mayor’s from succeeding terms, Brush did not run for re-election.

 

The Honorable Robert Liddell

Term: 1878 – 1881

Liddell served on the Common and Select Councils before winning the office of the Mayor as a democrat. Although, his victory was the result of a public revolt against the excess of the Magee-Flinn Ring. During his term, Temperanceville (Present Day West End), Mount Washington, South Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Birmingham (Present Day South Side) we annexed. Streets were first lit with electricity and telephone service began.

 

The Honorable Robert W. Lyon

Term: 1881 – 1884

Robert Lyon was trained as a blacksmith but achieved local prominence as a twice wounded Civil War Officer. Handpicked by Liddell as the democratic candidate, Lyon defeated the Magee-Flinn candidate. During his term Pittsburgh refused Andrew Carnegie’s initial offer to build a library.

 

The Honorable Andrew Fulton

Term: 1884-1887

The Magee-Flinn ring regained the Mayor’s Office by running Christopher Magee’s cousin, Robert Fulton. Fulton had the honor as Mayor of granting trolley franchises to Magee’s company and public works contracts to Flinn’s construction company. During his last week in office, he knocked out a local businessman by throwing a whiskey bottle at his head.

 

The Honorable William McCallin

Term: 1887 – 1890

Another product of the Magee-Flinn ring, McCallin was elected Allegheny County Sheriff in 1881. In his first year as Mayor, the first electric street car was put in service, and in 1869 Mary Schenley donated the land that would become Schenley Park, Schenley Farms, and Schenley High School. The power of a Mayor increased in the Act of 1887. Contracts were controlled by a Board made up of the Mayor and three department heads. Control over the police through the Mayor’s new power to appoint police was solidified.

 

The Honorable Henry I. Gourley

Term: 1890 – 1893

A school teacher, Gourley was first a product of the Magee-Flinn ring. Elected to the Select Council in 1876, he served as President of Council from 1879 to 1889 he broke with the ring when he became Mayor. During his term Phipps Conservatory and the Carnegie Library were built.

 

The Honorable Bernard McKenna

Term: 1893 – 1896

A Civil War gunboat veteran, McKenna returned to Pittsburgh to become an officer of Iron Moulder’s Union and Captain in the still politically powerful volunteer fire company. After an unsuccessful attempt at the Mayor’s Office in 1887 he was in term named Police Magistrate. When he finally captured the office, his term included the creation of a Board of Health, the bridges on the Monongahela River were purchased from private toll companies, and the Highland Park Zoo, the present Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium was built.

 

The Honorable Henry P. Ford

Term: 1896 – 1899

A bookkeeper who engaged in a variety of lumber and manufacturing businesses, Ford was first elected to the Select Council in 1881. Nothing more than a figurehead of the powerful Magee-Flinn ring, during his term Beltzhoover was annexed and the Water Filtration Plant was begun after years of typhoid epidemics.

 

The Honorable William J. Diehl

Term: 1899 – 1901

A Magee-Flinn member, Diehl served as a Pittsburgh School Board Member until elected to Select Council 1898. A year later the ring had him elected Mayor, his allegiance to the ring cost him his political career.

His enemies retaliated by helping to maneuvering a Pittsburgh Charter Bill through the State General Assembly that eliminated the Office of the Mayor – and Mayor Diehl – with it. To replace it with a nearly identical office known as “Recorder”. Diehl, cheated out of his job moved to Arkansas.

 

The Honorable Adam M. Brown

Term: 1901

An attorney, he was a close friend of Senator Quay - the orchastrater of his predecessors removal from office. The relationship saw him appointed to the new Office of Recorder by Governor William Stone. He immediately dismissed many ring officeholders. Unfortunately, Flinn, now running the ring alone after the death of his coconspirator Magee, made peace with the Governor and Senator. With that peace the turned on Recorder (Mayor) Brown and he was dismissed by Governor Stone after only seven months in office.

 

The Honorable Joseph O. Brown

Term: 1901 – 1903

Public Safety Director since 1887, Brown was nearly fired for his refusal to close the vice centers at the order of former Mayor Gourley. Perhaps because of the confusion of names, Governor Stone appointed Brown to replace A. M. Brown. Vice and corruption continued without opposition from the city’s Chief Executive, the voters passed on Brown for reelection and he proceeded to die in office.

 

The Honorable William B. Hays

Term: 1903 – 1906

A failed meatpacker, Hays became a part of the ring and held a variety of posts, including Deputy Sheriff, member of the Board of Health, and Chief City Assessor. When the Bigelow brothers went over to the Quay faction, Hays went with them. Hays the bolted from the Bigelow-Quay group and joined the Citizens Reform Party and finally the Democratic Party. He beat the Quay candidate for Recorder and assumed the office upon the death of Recorder Brown. By the time his term began, Legislators tried to end the battle by renaming the office, Mayor. During his term the neighborhoods of Esplen and Elliott were annexed.

 

The Honorable George W. Guthrie

Term: 1906 – 1909

The grandson and son of Mayors, George Wilkins Guthrie became active in reform politics in the 1880’s and helped organize the Citizens League for Reform in 1895. Guthrie was defeated in his first attempt at the Mayor’s Office in 1896. Only after the ring’s republican internal fights and open corruption cost the party support, did Guthrie a democrat win. As Mayor, Guthrie exposed the general corruption of the City government that led to the conviction of many Councilmembers. This led to the elimination of the old system and the creation of a 9-member at large Council and a court appointed School Board. The City adopted a Civil Service system and continued to annex such communities Sheridan, and the population doubling City of Allegheny, the present-day North Side.

After his term President Wilson named him the American Ambassador to Japan.

 

The Honorable William A. Magee

Term: 1909 – 1914 and 1922 – 1926

William Addison Magee transcended the eras of the ring reform and the Mellon Brothers domination of republican politics. A nephew of Christopher L. Magee, who’s family estate “Maples” became Magee-Women's Hospital, he was an Assistant District Attorney and member of Select Council. Elected in 1909, Magee soon benefited from change in state law that extended the Mayor’s term to the current four years.

During his term he oversaw the removal of the Grant Street hump, and the construction of the Bloomfield, Manchester, Larimer Avenue, and Murray Avenue bridges. Eight years after his first term he won a second nonconsecutive. Magee was persuaded not to seek a third term, but betrayed the democrats by seeking the republican nomination in 1937.

 

The Honorable Joseph G. Armstrong

Term: 1914 – 1918

A glassblower, Armstrong was an early labor leader and member of the Common and Select Councils from 1896 – 1905. When many of his colleagues were indicted for accepting bribes, he resigned from Council and successfully ran for County Coroner. He resigned that position to become Mayor Magee’s Director of Public Works. Mayor Magee fired Armstrong when he discovered his Director was planning to run for Mayor. Yet with the support of the old boss, William Flinn he won the election. He became known as “Joe the Builder” for his extensive public works projects such as the Armstrong Tunnels, Mount Washington (McArdle) Roadway, and the construction of our iconic City-County Building.

 

The Honorable Edward V. Babcock

Term: 1918 – 1922

A successful building supply salesman, Babcock entered politics as one of the original appointees on the nine-member City Council of 1911. Babcock supported Armstrong for Mayor, and with Armstrong’s help, became Mayor four years later, defeating former Mayor Magee.

He was became an Allegheny County Commissioner in 1924 and would support major road projects such as Ohio River, Saw Mill Run, Babcock, & McKeesport Boulevards.

 

The Honorable Charles Kline

Term: 1926 – 1933

An attorney, Charles Kline first won election to the State House in 1904 and to the State Senate in 1906. Kline also served as City and County republican Party Chairman. In 1919, he gave up his Senate seat to his neighbor, Max Leslie in return for an appointment as judge.

In 1925, State Chairman, William L. Mellon and his steward, Senator Leslie convinced Mayor Magee not to seek a third term. In return for Magee’s support of Kline, Kline retained 25 of Magee’s top allies in his administration.

Kline would go on to be indicted on numerous charges of rigging City contracts. While it is legend that he was thrown out of office for the purchase of the oriental rug that remained in the Mayor’s Office through the administration of Mayor Sophie Masloff. He would be convicted and resigned from office in disgrace.

Kline began the collection of portraits of past Mayors.

 

The Honorable John S. Herron

Term: 1933 – 1934

The last Republican Mayor, Herron was named to complete Kline’s unexpired term by Council. He could not overcome the Depression, Franklin Roosevelt, and the sins of Charles Cline and lost the office to resurgent Democrats.

After his 9-month term in the Mayor’s Office, Herron was appointed Minority County Commissioner in 1935.

 

The Honorable William N. McNair

Term: 1934 - 1936

The Democratic Party had been out of office for so long, the only candidate party leader David Lawrence could field against Herron was perennial candidate William McNair. An attorney, McNair began his political career in 1911 by running simultaneously for District Attorney and judge.

McNair’s term was full of questionable decisions. He appointed his chauffeur Director of Public Safety and put his desk in the lobby of the City-County Building. He refused to spend funds allocated by Council for shoes so that children could go to school and rejected Pittsburgh’s participation in federal relief efforts.

His demise would come by his own actions. He decided to default on City debt, a chorus of opposition caused him to choose to resign from office in protest. Failing to rally the public with this odd ploy, he tried to resign his resignation, but it was too late.

 

The Honorable Cornelius D. Scully

Term: 1936 – 1946

An attorney who helped found the Legal Aid Society in 1908, Scully was Mayor McNair’s City Solicitor until McNair fired him. Scully was then appointed by Council to one of its vacant seats. Once the democrats gained control of the Council, Scully was elected President and succeeded McNair after his resignation.

Under Scully, smoke control began, the Parkway East was designed, Fort Duquesne Boulevard was built, Point State Park was planned, and the Pittsburgh Zoo saw a major renovation. In 1942, Scully made history in the appointment of Ann Alpern as City Solicitor, the first woman of a major American City to do so.

 

The Honorable David L. Lawrence

Term: 1946 – 1959

Chairman of the Democratic Party since 1920, Lawrence guided the rise of Allegheny County in national politics. He became a voice for urban areas, helping to secure the nominations of both Presidents Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy.

As Mayor, Lawrence directed the nation's first urban renewal program. Pittsburgh’s Renaissance One saw the completion of smoke control, the transformation of The Point into Gateway Center, the development of Mellon Square and many dynamic other projects. A more controversial project he championed the Lower Hill District Renewal which would make way for the construction of the former Civic Arena for the Civic Light Opera.

In 1958, Lawrence became the only Pittsburgh Mayor to become Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

 

The Honorable Thomas J. Gallagher

Term: 1959

An officer in the glassblower’s union, Thomas Gallagher served in the State House before being elected to City Council in 1933. By 1952, he was Council President and held that post until he succeeded to the Office of the Mayor when Mayor Lawrence resigned to become Governor. At age 75, he was Pittsburgh’s oldest Mayor.

Gallagher did not seek reelection and retired from politics as Mayor.

 

The Honorable Joseph M. Barr

Term: 1959 – 1970

the youngest man elected to the State Senate where he served for 20 years. Barr was responsible for securing passage of the “Pittsburgh Packages” of redevelopment legislation and state aid that was crucial to the Renaissance.

Barr was chosen by his party to become Mayor and completed the redevelopment of the Golden Triangle with such public projects as Three Rivers Stadium and the completion of the Civic Arena.

 

The Honorable Peter Flaherty

Term: 1970 – 1977

A World War II Air Corps veteran, Pete Flaherty was an Assistant District Attorney from 1957 - 1965. The still powerful democratic party organization slated him for a seat on City Council, however he challenged the organization and ran for Mayor on the theme of “Nobody's Boy” His victory ended the democratic machine and began a period of independent politics.

Reacting to the public’s weariness of great urban renewal projects, as Mayor, Flaherty emphasized “Neighborhood Renaissance” Flaherty promoted austerity in City finances and eliminated patronage from the City’s hiring and promotion process.

In 1977 Flaherty resigned the office to become a Deputy Attorney General in the administration of President Jimmy Carter.

 

The Honorable Richard S. Caliguiri

Term: 1977 – 1988

Dick Caliguiri began his career as a surveyor for the City Parks Department. He served as Director of that department under Mayor Barr and Acting Director of Public Works under Mayor Flaherty.

In 1970, he was named to a vacant seat on City Council, but was denied party endorsement when he joined Flaherty in opposing a mass transit system called “Sky Bus”. After a failed attempt at the Mayor's Office in 1973, Caliguiri ascended to the office in 1977 when as Council President, Mayor Flaherty resigned after an appointment to the Carter administration.

Mayor Caliguiri’s Renaissance Two was based on a new public and private partnership that resulted in major construction in the Golden Triangle.

Mayor Caliguiri was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare and serious protein disorder. He would succumb to his illness in May of 1988. A widely popular figure, he would be memorialized with a statue erected on the Front Portico of the City-County Building.

 

The Honorable Sophie Masloff

Term: 1988 – 1994

Pittsburgh’s first and only female Mayor, Masloff began her career as a clerk in the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas where she would serve for 38 years. Known as a hard worker who took no nonsense, she was encouraged to run for City Council where she served as City Council President at the time of Mayor Caliguiri’s death. As Mayor she was known for her sense of humor and colorful personality, once famously referring to the rock band “The Who” as “The How”.

Her administration was responsible for a vast improvement of the city’s navigation system. Previously very few Pittsburgh roads even had street signs. The blue sign system was created and is still in effect today. Another lasting legacy was her fiscal responsibility. Pittsburgh would privatize numerous costly assets such as the Pittsburgh Zoo, the National Aviary, Phipps Conservatory, and the Schenley Park Golf Course.

Perhaps her most famous action Masloff became the first Pittsburgh official to suggest the Pittsburgh Pirates be given their own baseball stadium outside of Three Rivers Stadium. Then criticized for her “Clemente Field” it would go on to be the inspiration for PNC Park and Heinz Field.

 

The Honorable Thomas J. Murphy

Term: 1994 – 2006

Serving as a State Representative, Tom Murphy was one of the few Pittsburgh Mayors who did not previously serve on City Council. Achieving the office after Mayor Masloff chose not to seek a second full term, Murphy was elected Mayor with 66% of the vote.

As Mayor, Murphy managed to secure the one billion dollars in funding required for the construction of PNC Park, Heinz Field, and a new David L. Lawrence Convention Center. He was an advocate of creating a strong retail presence in downtown Pittsburgh, his Fifth & Forbes Corridor saw the construction of both a Lazarus, and Lord & Taylor department store. Murphy would also lead the development of more than 25 miles of new riverfront trails and urban green spaces.

After managing to steady the ship during Pittsburgh’s financially distressed years, Mayor Murphy announced he would not seek a fourth term in 2004.

 

The Honorable Robert E. O’Connor

Term: 2006

First elected in 1991 Bob O’Connor served on City Council under Mayors Masloff and Murphy. Elected as City Council President in 1998 he soon resigned the post to serve in the administration of Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

When Mayor Tom Murphy chose not to seek a fourth term as Mayor, O’Connor returned to Pittsburgh winning the election with 67% of the vote.

Known as “The People's Mayor” O’Connor’s down to earth personality and easygoing attitude made him a popular figure. His “Redd Up Pittsburgh” campaign was born out of his distaste for litter which he often called disrespectful to Pittsburgh, would become a massive success.

After seven months in office, Mayor O’Connor was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. Yarone Zober, who had been recently been appointed as Deputy Mayor served as Acting Mayor during his treatments. Mayor O’Connor passed away on September 1, 2006. The Bob O’Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park was named in his honor.

 

The Honorable Luke Ravenstahl

Term: 2006 – 2014

Sworn in as the youngest member of City Council at age 23, Luke Ravenstahl would become City Council President in 2005.

Following the death of Mayor O’Connor, Ravenstahl ascended to the Office of the Mayor at age 26, making him the both the youngest Mayor of Pittsburgh as well as the youngest Mayor of a major American city. After winning a special election to retain the office in 2007, he would also win the 2009 election with 59% of the vote.

Perhaps Ravenstahl’s most enduring legacy was the Pittsburgh Promise. A scholarship program between the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh School District which would provide scholarships to Pittsburgh school children based on performance and attendance. He would also preside over the revitalization of downtown’s Market Square and host the Pittsburgh G20 summit in 2009.

 

The Honorable William Peduto

Term: 2014 – 2022

William Peduto was elected to the office of Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh in the General Election on November 5, 2013, and took office as Pittsburgh’s 60th Mayor in January of 2014. Prior to taking office, he worked for 19 years on Pittsburgh City Council - seven years as a staffer then twelve years as a Member of Council. As a Councilman, Bill Peduto wrote the most comprehensive package of government reform legislation in Pittsburgh’s history. He strengthened the Ethics Code, created the city’s first Campaign Finance Limits, established Lobbyist Disclosure and Lobbyist Registration and ended No-Bid Contracts. As Mayor, Peduto continues to champion the protection and enhancement of Pittsburgh’s new reputation - maintaining fiscal responsibility, establishing community based development plans, embracing innovative solutions and becoming a leader in green initiatives.

The Peduto administration is committed to modernizing city government and implementing leading practices to provide taxpayers with an efficient, effective, transparent, and a more accountable government. Under Peduto’s leadership, the City of Pittsburgh has experienced a complete transformation of the city’s procurement process; the reorganization of the Department of Permits, Licenses & Inspections; a commitment to developing a long-term maintenance and investment plan for the city’s assets; the creation of the ONEPGH Resilience Strategy, and technological upgrades including a GPS based Snow Plow Tracker website, 311 Response Center mobile app, an interactive street paving website and several digital tools built with public information in a new open data portal. Setting priorities around strengthening Pittsburgh's 90 communities, Peduto established the Bureau of Neighborhood Empowerment to promote the city's role in housing, small business, and education; led the development of the city's land bank; and championed the creation of a neighborhood-strengthening Rental Registration program.

Since taking office, Mayor Peduto has lead a collaborative effort to make Pittsburgh a leading 21st Century city. The Peduto administration haspartnered with the White House on numerous initiatives, resulting in direct access to federal support related to affordable housing, education, economic development, energy efficiency, immigration, manufacturing, community policing, workforce development, technology and transportation. Under Peduto’s leadership the City of Pittsburgh has played an active role in National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Pennsylvania Municipal League initiatives. Pittsburgh was recently selected to join the Rockefeller Foundation network’s 100 Resilient Cities, which provides resources to improve city resilience in the face of climate change, globalization and urbanization trends. In 2015 Mayor Peduto signed a unique agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to make the city a world leader in district energy production and Pittsburgh joined the UN's Compact of Mayors, a global coalition of climate leaders committed to local action and global impact. Recently Mayor Peduto joined with mayors across the world to reaffirm Pittsburgh's commitment to the Paris Agreement and efforts to combat climate change.Mayor Peduto is also a founding member of the MetroLab Network, a national alliance of cities and universities committed to providing analytically-based solutions to improve urban infrastructure, services and other public sector priorities.

The Peduto administration is working to ensure that everyone benefits from Pittsburgh’s transformation and growth because, “If it’s not for all, it’s not for us.”

 

The Honorable Ed Gainey

Term: 2022 - Present

Mayor Ed Gainey grew up in East Liberty and saw firsthand the economic hardships many families face in our city. Raised by a single mother, he counted on the support of his extended family and community to build a pathway to high school and college. Inspired to do the same for others, Ed Gainey discovered in college that an effective government can be a powerful tool to fight injustice and uplift communities. As a State Representative in Harrisburg he was on the front line fighting for working families, and as Mayor of Pittsburgh he'll work everyday to make Pittsburgh a city where all can belong and contribute. Ed and his wife Michelle have three children and live in the Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood of Pittsburgh.