George B. Ward
Encyclopedia
George B. Ward was the 13th Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama
(USA) and the owner of the exotic "Vestavia" estate which gives Vestavia Hills, Alabama
its name.
, but arrived in the new city of Birmingham shortly after its founding in 1871. His parents, George R. and Margaret Ward, operated the Relay House hotel along with his grandparents William and Jane Ketchum. Ward's mother hosted many social events at the hotel and was one of the founding members of the Episcopal Church of the Advent.
Ward attended the Powell School until he was sixteen and took a job as a runner for Charles Linn
's National Bank of Birmingham. He narrowly missed a bullet fired into a mob rushing the Jefferson County Courthouse to lynch murderer Richard Hawes on December 8, 1888.
That same year, Ward enrolled in prep school at Cumberland University
in Lebanon, Tennessee
. When he returned to the bank he was promoted, eventually to the position of paying teller. In 1899 he campaigned successfully for a seat on the Birmingham Board of Aldermen, but resigned after a few months to manage a bank in Sheffield
.
In 1900 Ward returned to the National Bank of Birmingham, leaving after a year's time to form a new investment company with John M. Caldwell. He ran again for the Board of Aldermen and was elected to a four-year term, representing Ward 2 of the city.
using city employees and that the city was running deficits without performing needed services. He promised to make the city's finances sounder and more transparent. Drennen was re-elected in that race.
When Drennen retired, Ward once again ran for the office, this time against four opponents, of which the strongest was Drennen protege Charles S. Simmons. Ward won the most votes in the primary, but avoided a run-off when Simmons withdrew from the race. He was inaugurated on May 4, 1905 for a two-year term.
In the 1907 Birmingham mayoral election Ward faced off for the first time against Opera House owner Frank P. O'Brien. Although O'Brien promised to improve the undermanned Birmingham Police Department, Ward easily won re-election - in part by identifying O'Brien as a puppet of liquor and gambling interests.
Ward was known for his strict enforcement of saloon regulations, which he considered a better alternative than strict prohibition
. Nevertheless, he became a leader in campaigning for the 1907 referendum which established local prohibition in Jefferson County
. He sought constantly to improve the reputation of the city as lawless and intemperate. He worked to cultivate the city's revenue base, leaning on lucrative short-term utility franchises, raising fees, and investing in public projects with anticipated returns.
Ward codified and published the Birmingham Municipal Code for the first time, and mailed a copy of the city's sanitation laws to every household. He established the position of City Comptroller and reported the city's financial balance to the press each month and established several departments, including one responsible for building inspections. He also worked on public safety issues, enlarging the police department and upgrading firefighting equipment. He also invested in sewer construction and worked hard to help the Birmingham City Schools
keep pace with the rapidly-growing student population.
Ward urged utilities to bury their services underground and instituted city-wide clean-up days to beautify downtown. He also oversaw an enormous expansion of dedicated public park land, including the purchase of 100 acre (0.404686 km²) at Green Springs, which is now known as George Ward Park. In order to encourage public use of the parks, he had signs warning people to "Keep Off the Grass" removed.
passed a new municipal code which changed the balance of power in city government. Whereas previously the mayor held one vote in meetings of the Board of Aldermen and made all committee appointments, the new law separated legislative and executive powers and gave the mayor only veto power over the Board, while increasing his power to hire and fire city workers.
Ward supported the change, but only with the proviso that it not be adopted until the conclusion of his term of office. Nevertheless in August 1907, while Ward was on a six-week tour of Europe, the Board of Aldermen voted 10-7 to reorganize as a City Council with John L. Parker as President and Acting Mayor. Parker immediately re-assigned all the committees, leaving Ward's supporters primarily in charge of cemetery issues.
With the support of the Birmingham Police Department, Ward opted to ignore the Board's actions. He called a meeting of the "Board of Aldermen" and refused to allow Council members to take seats as officers of the city. Ward's allies introduced a bill to prohibit municipal reorganization until after the 1908 mayoral election, but were unsuccessful. Parker filed suit against Ward, and won a judgment from the Alabama Supreme Court
giving the Council control of the city. The anti-Ward faction's main goal of loosening restrictions on saloons, however, was pre-empted by the popular election for prohibition which took effect at the same time.
of Jefferson County, a more powerful position than Mayor. He spent a great deal of money on his campaign and expected a victory based on polls taken in advance of the election, but ended up losing badly to Walter McAdory. After the election Ward announced that he would never return to politics.
Nevertheless, the progressive movement in Birmingham politics which had reached a peak in 1910 enticed him and he decided to make a run for President of the new Birmingham City Commission in 1913. The first commission had been appointed by Governor B. B. Comer
. In the race for the second commission's presidency, Ward squared off against labor candidate Clement Wood, winning easily. He took the oath of office on November 13, 1913.
Ward's primary task as Commission President was to lobby to secure additional municipal revenues. He proclaimed that Birmingham's low tax collections placed it alone at the very bottom of the 38 American cities with populations of 100,000 to 300,000. In order to make up the difference, Birmingham's business license fees were among the highest in the country. In anticipation of being absorbed into "Greater Birmingham", many formerly-independent cities had undertaken large public works projects which were folded into Birmingham's debt, then over $600,000 and growing by $1,000 a day. Departmental budgets were repeatedly tightened while broad subcommittees explored options for improving municipal finances. The city's recreation and welfare departments closed. Students in city schools were charged fees. Police and fire department personnel were reduced by a third, and the Birmingham Zoo
was closed down.
The Alabama legislature only grudgingly prepared a bill for referendum that would allow Birmingham to increase its municipal income tax rate from 1% to 1.5%. The measure failed in referendum in 1915.
In the face of the city's financial incapacity, Ward mounted an aggressive public relations campaign to beautify the city through citizen-led action. The department of public works assisted citizen-led drives to tend vacant lots and plant gardens. Ward's implementation of the national City Beautiful movement
attracted the attention of the national press. The cooperation of the local press helped preserve Ward's reputation despite the city's precarious financial situation.
Frustrated, though, by his inability to secure adequate revenues, Ward announced he would not run for re-election in 1917. East Lake physician Nathaniel Barrett was his primary opponent, smearing Ward, an Episcopalian, as part of a supposed "Roman Catholic conspiracy". Barrett had the support of the "True Americans", which became the target of Ward's most outspoken campaign denunciations, as well as a secretly-filmed exposé.
Ward's popularity carried him in the central city, but the annexed suburbs overwhelmingly supported Barrett, and Ward left politics for the last time.
During the President Warren Harding's 1921 visit to Birmingham, Ward rode alongside African American barber Frank McQueen in the lead car, representing the "Pioneers of 1871" who had lived in the city since its founding.
In 1923 Ward purchased a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) parcel of land on the ridge of Shades Mountain and created a unique residence, the "Vestavia" estate in 1925. The house was modeled on the circular Temple of Vesta
in Rome
and was surrounded by landscaped gardens and fountains. His garden parties, featuring toga-clad dancers and servers dressed as Roman soldiers, were legendary.
Ward died in 1940.
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
(USA) and the owner of the exotic "Vestavia" estate which gives Vestavia Hills, Alabama
Vestavia Hills, Alabama
Vestavia Hills is a city in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a suburb of the city of Birmingham.-History:Vestavia Hills is named for the estate of former Birmingham mayor George B. Ward. It was situated on the crest of Shades Mountain in what is now the northern...
its name.
Early life
Ward was born in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, but arrived in the new city of Birmingham shortly after its founding in 1871. His parents, George R. and Margaret Ward, operated the Relay House hotel along with his grandparents William and Jane Ketchum. Ward's mother hosted many social events at the hotel and was one of the founding members of the Episcopal Church of the Advent.
Ward attended the Powell School until he was sixteen and took a job as a runner for Charles Linn
Charles Linn
Charles Linn born Carl Erik Engelbrekt Sjödahl was a sailor, wholesaler, banker and industrialist. He was one of the founders of Birmingham, Alabama.-Background:...
's National Bank of Birmingham. He narrowly missed a bullet fired into a mob rushing the Jefferson County Courthouse to lynch murderer Richard Hawes on December 8, 1888.
That same year, Ward enrolled in prep school at Cumberland University
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
. When he returned to the bank he was promoted, eventually to the position of paying teller. In 1899 he campaigned successfully for a seat on the Birmingham Board of Aldermen, but resigned after a few months to manage a bank in Sheffield
Sheffield, Alabama
Sheffield is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States, and is included in The Shoals MSA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 9,652. Sheffield is the birthplace of notable attorney, actor, former senator and presidential contender Fred Thompson...
.
In 1900 Ward returned to the National Bank of Birmingham, leaving after a year's time to form a new investment company with John M. Caldwell. He ran again for the Board of Aldermen and was elected to a four-year term, representing Ward 2 of the city.
Mayor
Ward ran against incumbent Mel Drennen in the 1903 Birmingham mayoral election. He campaigned for change and charged that Drennen was constructing a political machinePolitical machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
using city employees and that the city was running deficits without performing needed services. He promised to make the city's finances sounder and more transparent. Drennen was re-elected in that race.
When Drennen retired, Ward once again ran for the office, this time against four opponents, of which the strongest was Drennen protege Charles S. Simmons. Ward won the most votes in the primary, but avoided a run-off when Simmons withdrew from the race. He was inaugurated on May 4, 1905 for a two-year term.
In the 1907 Birmingham mayoral election Ward faced off for the first time against Opera House owner Frank P. O'Brien. Although O'Brien promised to improve the undermanned Birmingham Police Department, Ward easily won re-election - in part by identifying O'Brien as a puppet of liquor and gambling interests.
Ward was known for his strict enforcement of saloon regulations, which he considered a better alternative than strict prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
. Nevertheless, he became a leader in campaigning for the 1907 referendum which established local prohibition in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Alabama
Jefferson County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama, with its county seat being located in Birmingham.As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Jefferson County was 658,466...
. He sought constantly to improve the reputation of the city as lawless and intemperate. He worked to cultivate the city's revenue base, leaning on lucrative short-term utility franchises, raising fees, and investing in public projects with anticipated returns.
Ward codified and published the Birmingham Municipal Code for the first time, and mailed a copy of the city's sanitation laws to every household. He established the position of City Comptroller and reported the city's financial balance to the press each month and established several departments, including one responsible for building inspections. He also worked on public safety issues, enlarging the police department and upgrading firefighting equipment. He also invested in sewer construction and worked hard to help the Birmingham City Schools
Birmingham City Schools
Birmingham City Schools is the public school district that serves the U.S. city of Birmingham, Alabama.It is currently the fourth largest school system in Alabama behind Mobile County Public School System, Jefferson County School System, and Montgomery Public Schools...
keep pace with the rapidly-growing student population.
Ward urged utilities to bury their services underground and instituted city-wide clean-up days to beautify downtown. He also oversaw an enormous expansion of dedicated public park land, including the purchase of 100 acre (0.404686 km²) at Green Springs, which is now known as George Ward Park. In order to encourage public use of the parks, he had signs warning people to "Keep Off the Grass" removed.
1907 controversy
In 1907 the Alabama LegislatureAlabama Legislature
The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of Alabama. It is a bicameral body composed of the Alabama House of Representatives, with 105 members, and the Alabama Senate, with 35 members...
passed a new municipal code which changed the balance of power in city government. Whereas previously the mayor held one vote in meetings of the Board of Aldermen and made all committee appointments, the new law separated legislative and executive powers and gave the mayor only veto power over the Board, while increasing his power to hire and fire city workers.
Ward supported the change, but only with the proviso that it not be adopted until the conclusion of his term of office. Nevertheless in August 1907, while Ward was on a six-week tour of Europe, the Board of Aldermen voted 10-7 to reorganize as a City Council with John L. Parker as President and Acting Mayor. Parker immediately re-assigned all the committees, leaving Ward's supporters primarily in charge of cemetery issues.
With the support of the Birmingham Police Department, Ward opted to ignore the Board's actions. He called a meeting of the "Board of Aldermen" and refused to allow Council members to take seats as officers of the city. Ward's allies introduced a bill to prohibit municipal reorganization until after the 1908 mayoral election, but were unsuccessful. Parker filed suit against Ward, and won a judgment from the Alabama Supreme Court
Alabama Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of an elected Chief Justice and eight elected Associate Justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six year terms. The Governor of Alabama may fill vacancies when they occur...
giving the Council control of the city. The anti-Ward faction's main goal of loosening restrictions on saloons, however, was pre-empted by the popular election for prohibition which took effect at the same time.
President of the Commission
In 1910 Ward decided to run for SheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Jefferson County, a more powerful position than Mayor. He spent a great deal of money on his campaign and expected a victory based on polls taken in advance of the election, but ended up losing badly to Walter McAdory. After the election Ward announced that he would never return to politics.
Nevertheless, the progressive movement in Birmingham politics which had reached a peak in 1910 enticed him and he decided to make a run for President of the new Birmingham City Commission in 1913. The first commission had been appointed by Governor B. B. Comer
B. B. Comer
Braxton Bragg Comer was an American Democratic politician who was the 33rd Governor of Alabama from 1907 to 1911.-Early Life and Education:...
. In the race for the second commission's presidency, Ward squared off against labor candidate Clement Wood, winning easily. He took the oath of office on November 13, 1913.
Ward's primary task as Commission President was to lobby to secure additional municipal revenues. He proclaimed that Birmingham's low tax collections placed it alone at the very bottom of the 38 American cities with populations of 100,000 to 300,000. In order to make up the difference, Birmingham's business license fees were among the highest in the country. In anticipation of being absorbed into "Greater Birmingham", many formerly-independent cities had undertaken large public works projects which were folded into Birmingham's debt, then over $600,000 and growing by $1,000 a day. Departmental budgets were repeatedly tightened while broad subcommittees explored options for improving municipal finances. The city's recreation and welfare departments closed. Students in city schools were charged fees. Police and fire department personnel were reduced by a third, and the Birmingham Zoo
Birmingham Zoo
The Birmingham Zoo is a zoological park that opened in 1955 in Birmingham, Alabama . The zoo is home to almost 800 animals representing over 200 species, including many endangered species from six continents....
was closed down.
The Alabama legislature only grudgingly prepared a bill for referendum that would allow Birmingham to increase its municipal income tax rate from 1% to 1.5%. The measure failed in referendum in 1915.
In the face of the city's financial incapacity, Ward mounted an aggressive public relations campaign to beautify the city through citizen-led action. The department of public works assisted citizen-led drives to tend vacant lots and plant gardens. Ward's implementation of the national City Beautiful movement
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy concerning North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago,...
attracted the attention of the national press. The cooperation of the local press helped preserve Ward's reputation despite the city's precarious financial situation.
Frustrated, though, by his inability to secure adequate revenues, Ward announced he would not run for re-election in 1917. East Lake physician Nathaniel Barrett was his primary opponent, smearing Ward, an Episcopalian, as part of a supposed "Roman Catholic conspiracy". Barrett had the support of the "True Americans", which became the target of Ward's most outspoken campaign denunciations, as well as a secretly-filmed exposé.
Ward's popularity carried him in the central city, but the annexed suburbs overwhelmingly supported Barrett, and Ward left politics for the last time.
During the President Warren Harding's 1921 visit to Birmingham, Ward rode alongside African American barber Frank McQueen in the lead car, representing the "Pioneers of 1871" who had lived in the city since its founding.
In 1923 Ward purchased a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) parcel of land on the ridge of Shades Mountain and created a unique residence, the "Vestavia" estate in 1925. The house was modeled on the circular Temple of Vesta
Temple of Vesta
The Temple of Vesta is an ancient edifice in Rome, Italy, located in the Roman Forum near the Regia and the House of the Vestal Virgins. The temple's most recognizable feature is its circular footprint. Since the worship of Vesta began in private homes, the architecture seems to be a reminder of...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and was surrounded by landscaped gardens and fountains. His garden parties, featuring toga-clad dancers and servers dressed as Roman soldiers, were legendary.
Ward died in 1940.
Writings
- "Geo. Ward Made a Business Mayor. Geo. Ward Will Make a Business Sheriff. Help Him Win" (1910) Birmingham. Roberts & Son, Printers. - accessed via the Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections