List of mayors of Chattanooga, Tennessee
| Elections in Tennessee |
|---|
 |
 Government |
This is a list of mayors of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Tim Kelly has been the incumbent mayor of Chattanooga since his inauguration on April 19, 2021 at the Tivoli Theatre.[1]
City aldermen system (1840-1911)
| # | Portrait | Name[2] | Term start | Term end | Terms | Party affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
James Enfield Berry[a] | January 1, 1840 | December 31, 1840 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Dr. Beriah Frazier | 1841 | 1 | ||||
| 3 |  |
Dr. Milo Smith (1st term) | 1842 | 1843 | 2 | ||
| 4 | Dr. Joseph Strong Gillespie | 1844 | 1845 | 2 | |||
| 5 |  |
Henry White Massengale (1st term) | 1846 | 1848 | 3 | ||
| 6 | Thomas Crutchfield Sr. | 1849 | 1 | ||||
| 7 | |
Dr. Milo Smith (3rd, 4th & 5th terms) | 1850 | 1852 | 3 | ||
| 8 | |
Henry White Massengale (2nd term) | 1853 | 1 | |||
| 9 | William Williams | January 1854 | July 1, 1954 | 1⁄2 | |||
| 10 | William F. Ragsdale | July 1, 1854 | December 1954 | 1⁄2 | |||
| 11 | Eldridge Gerry Pearl | 1855 | 1 | ||||
| 12 | David Claiborne McMillin | 1856 | 1 | ||||
| 13 | William D. Fulton | 1857 | 1 | ||||
| 14 | Dr. William Samuel Bell | 1858 | 1 | ||||
| 15 | Thomas Crutchfield Jr. | 1859 | 1 | ||||
| 16 | Charles Erskine Grenville | 1860 | 1 | ||||
| 17 | James Cartwright Warner | 1861 | 1 | ||||
| 18 | |
Dr. Milo Smith (6th & 7th terms) | 1862 | September 9, 1863 | 2 | ||
| Under direct control of the United States Army for duration of Civil War from 1863–1865 | |||||||
| # | Portrait | Name[3] | Term start | Term end | Terms | Party affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 |  |
Richard Henderson | October 7, 1865 | December 28, 1865 | 1 | ||
| 20 | Charles E. Lewis | 1866 | 1867 | 1 | Republican | ||
| 21 | Dudley C. Carr | 1867 | 1869 | 2 | |||
| 22 | Alonzo G. Sharpe (1st term) | 1869 | 1870 | 1 | Republican | ||
| 23 | William P. Rathburn | 1870 | 1871 | 2 | |||
| 24 |  |
Gen. John T. Wilder ‡ | November 20, 1871 | May 18, 1872 | 2 | Republican | |
| 25 | Josiah Jackson Bryan | May 18, 1872 | November 25, 1872 | 1 | |||
| 26 |  |
Dr. Eli M. Wight (1st term) | November 25, 1872 | November 24, 1873 | 1 | Republican | |
| 27 | Dr. Philander D. Sims | November 24, 1873 | November 23, 1874 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 28 | John W. James | November 23, 1874 | November 22, 1875 | 1 | Republican | ||
| 29 | Col. Tomlinson Fort, Jr. | November 22, 1875 | November 20, 1876 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 30 | |
Dr. Eli M. Wight (2nd term) | November 20, 1876 | November 20, 1877 | 1 | Republican | |
| 31 | Thomas J. Carlisle † | November 19, 1877 | October 29, 1878 | 1 | Republican | ||
| 32 | Andrew Jackson Gahagan (Acting) | October 29, 1878 | November 25, 1878 | Republican | |||
| 33 | Jesse Thomas Hill | November 25, 1878 | November 24, 1879 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 34 | Henry Frederick Temple | November 24, 1879 | November 22, 1880 | 1 | Independent | ||
| 35 |  |
John A. Hart (1st term) | November 22, 1880 | November 21, 1881 | 1 | Republican | |
| 36 |  |
Henry C. Evans | November 21, 1881 | November 19, 1883 | 2 | Republican | |
| 37 | Hugh Whiteside | November 19, 1883 | November 23, 1885[b] | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 38 | Alonzo G. Sharpe (2nd term) | November 23, 1885 | November 21, 1887 | 1 | Republican | ||
| 39 | John B. Nicklin | November 21, 1887 | October 14, 1889 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 40 | |
John A. Hart (2nd term) † | October 14, 1889 | January 15, 1891 | 1 | Republican | |
| 41 | Isaac B. Merriman (Acting) | January 20, 1891 | October 19, 1891 | 1/2 | |||
| 42 | Garnet Andrews | October 19, 1891 | October 16, 1893 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 43 |  |
George W. Ochs | October 16, 1893 | October 18, 1897 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 44 | Edmond G. Watkins | October 18, 1897 | October 16, 1899 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 45 | Joseph Wassman | October 16, 1899 | October 14, 1901 | 1 | Republican | ||
| – | Alexander W. Chambliss (1st & 2nd terms) | October 14, 1901 | October 16, 1905 | 2 | Democratic | ||
| 46 |  |
William Little Frierson | October 16, 1905 | October 14, 1907 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 47 | William Riley Crabtree | October 14, 1907 | October 18, 1909 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 48 | Thomas C. Thompson | October 18, 1909 | May 8, 1911[c] | 1 | Democratic | ||
City commission system (1911-1990)
| # | Portrait | Name[4] (Birth–Death) |
Term in office[c] | Terms[5] | Party affiliation | Election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Thomas C. Thompson (1860–1938) |
May 8, 1911 – April 19, 1915 |
1 | Democratic | 1911 | ||
| 49 | Jesse M. Littleton (1867–1923) |
April 19, 1915 – July 14, 1919 |
1 | Republican | 1915 | ||
| 50 | Alex W. Chambliss ‡ (1864–1947) |
July 14, 1919 – October 17, 1923 |
3 | Democratic | 1919 1923 | ||
| 51 | Richard Hardy (1868–1927) |
October 17, 1923 – April 18, 1927 |
1 | none | Acting | ||
| 52 | Edward D. Bass ‡ (1873–1960) |
April 18, 1927 – January 10, 1947 |
5 | Democratic | 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 | ||
| 53 | Elijah R. Betterton (1879–1958) |
January 10, 1947 – April 14, 1947 |
1⁄2 | none | Acting | ||
| 54 | Hugh P. Wasson (1889–1958) |
April 14, 1947 – April 16, 1951 |
1 | Independent | 1947 | ||
| 55 |  |
Peter R. Olgiati (1901–1989) |
April 16, 1951 – April 15, 1963 |
3 | none | 1951 1955 1959 | |
| 56 |  |
Ralph H. Kelley ‡ (1928–2004) |
April 15, 1963 – January 1, 1969 |
11⁄2 | none | 1963 1967 | |
| 57 | Austin L. Bender ‡ (1916–1980) |
January 1, 1969 – January 26, 1971 |
1⁄2 | Democratic | Acting | ||
| 58 | S. Dean Peterson (1903–1986) |
January 26, 1971 – April 1971 |
2 months | none | Acting | ||
| 59 | Robert K. Walker (1925–2007) |
1971–1975 | 1 | none | 1971 | ||
| 60 |  |
Charles A. Rose (1930–2022) |
1975–1983 | 2 | none | 1975 1979 | |
| 61 | Gene Roberts (1932–2013) |
1983–1990 | 4 | none | 1983 1987 | ||
City council system (Since 1990)
| # | Portrait | Name[6] (Birth–Death) |
Term in office | Terms | Party affiliation | Election | Previous office[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Gene Roberts (1932–2013) |
1990–1997 | 4 | none | 1990 1993 |
Tennessee Commissioner of Safety (1979–1982) | ||
| 62 | Jon Kinsey (b. 1954) |
1997–2001 | 1 | Democratic | 1997 | President of Leonard Kinsey Company (1984–1996) | ||
| 63 |  |
Bob Corker (b. 1952) |
April 16, 2001 – April 18, 2005 |
1 | Republican | 2001 | Tennessee Commissioner of Finance and Administration (1995–1996) | |
| 64 | _Rick_West_for_Chattanooga_Navy_Week_(3x4_).jpg) |
Ron Littlefield (b. 1954) |
April 18, 2005 – April 15, 2013 |
2 | Independent | 2005 2009 |
Chairman of the City Council (1990–2001) | |
| 65 |  |
Andy Berke (b. 1968) |
April 15, 2013 – April 19, 2021 |
2 | Democratic | 2013 2017 |
Member of the Tennessee Senate (2007–2012) | |
| 66 |  |
Tim Kelly (b. 1967) |
April 19, 2021 – Incumbent |
1 | Democratic | 2021 2025 | ||
Notes
[a] From 1840–1882, all mayors served one year terms, with several mayors elected to successive terms.
[b] From 1883–1911, all mayors served two year terms, with several mayors elected to successive terms.
[c] From 1911 to the present, most mayors have served four year terms, with several mayors elected to successive terms.
See also
Notes
- ^ "Chattanooga Mayor-Elect and City Council Members to be Sworn in on April 19 at the Tivoli Theatre". April 15, 2021.
- ^ "History of Mayors".
- ^ "History of Mayors".
- ^ "History of Mayors".
- ^ "History of Mayors".
- ^ "History of Mayors".
- ^ Staff. "Past Mayors". Retrieved July 3, 2025.
Further reading
- "Mayor's Office: History of Mayors" — City of Chattanooga