Richard Hackett
Encyclopedia
For the North Carolina congressman, see Richard N. Hackett
.
Richard Cecil "Dick" Hackett (born July 21, 1949) was mayor
of the city of Memphis, Tennessee
from 1982 to 1991. He also served as Shelby County (Tennessee) Clerk from 1978 to 1982. At the time that he took office as mayor, he was 33 years old and was the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city. He is best known for being the last white
mayor of Memphis and for his defeat in the historic 1991 election that saw the victory of the first African-American mayoral candidate in the city's history, W. W. Herenton
.
Despite his incredibly narrow loss to Herenton (172 votes out of slightly over 248,000 cast), Hackett was a fairly popular mayor during his nine years in office. He ran and won three times, claiming victory in a 1982 special election as well as in the 1983 and 1987 general elections. His percentage of the vote increased each time, culminating in a lopsided victory in 1987 in which he garnered over 58% of the vote, including nearly 20% of the black vote. Despite this, by 1991 Hackett had become vulnerable due to changing demographics (because of continued white flight
to the suburbs and an increasing black population, the city was nearly 55% African-American by 1991) as well as controversies during his second full term, including Holiday Inn
's corporate headquarters leaving the city for Atlanta, serious problems with the Memphis Housing Authority and embarrassing issues involving the financing of the Pyramid Arena
in downtown.
During Hackett's nine years as mayor, tourism, downtown redevelopment, business growth and non-profit institutional development were his main priorities. He was considered a fiscal conservative, with property taxes increasing only once while he was in office (in 1985) and the city's debt level remaining well under control. On the issue of race, Hackett was seen by many as a moderate, especially in comparison to his predecessors J. Wyeth Chandler
(1972–82) and Henry Loeb
(1968–71). He appointed many African-Americans as division directors, most notably James Ivey as police director and Greg Duckett as chief administrative officer.
After his 1991 defeat, Hackett worked for several non-profit agencies over the next 15 years. In July 2006, he became the CEO/director of the Children's Museum of Memphis
.
Richard N. Hackett
Richard Nathaniel Hackett was a United States Representative in Congress from North Carolina from 1907 through 1909.Born in Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, North Carolina on December 4, 1866, Hackett graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and became a lawyer.Hackett chaired the...
.
Richard Cecil "Dick" Hackett (born July 21, 1949) was mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the city of Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
from 1982 to 1991. He also served as Shelby County (Tennessee) Clerk from 1978 to 1982. At the time that he took office as mayor, he was 33 years old and was the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city. He is best known for being the last white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
mayor of Memphis and for his defeat in the historic 1991 election that saw the victory of the first African-American mayoral candidate in the city's history, W. W. Herenton
W. W. Herenton
Willie Wilbert Herenton is an American politician who was formerly mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, and was candidate for election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010, until his defeat in the Democratic primary against incumbent Steve Cohen. He was the first African American to be elected...
.
Despite his incredibly narrow loss to Herenton (172 votes out of slightly over 248,000 cast), Hackett was a fairly popular mayor during his nine years in office. He ran and won three times, claiming victory in a 1982 special election as well as in the 1983 and 1987 general elections. His percentage of the vote increased each time, culminating in a lopsided victory in 1987 in which he garnered over 58% of the vote, including nearly 20% of the black vote. Despite this, by 1991 Hackett had become vulnerable due to changing demographics (because of continued white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
to the suburbs and an increasing black population, the city was nearly 55% African-American by 1991) as well as controversies during his second full term, including Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
's corporate headquarters leaving the city for Atlanta, serious problems with the Memphis Housing Authority and embarrassing issues involving the financing of the Pyramid Arena
Pyramid Arena
The Pyramid Arena is a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis at the banks of the Mississippi River. The facility was built in 1991 and was originally owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County. Its unique structure plays on the city's namesake in Egypt, known for...
in downtown.
During Hackett's nine years as mayor, tourism, downtown redevelopment, business growth and non-profit institutional development were his main priorities. He was considered a fiscal conservative, with property taxes increasing only once while he was in office (in 1985) and the city's debt level remaining well under control. On the issue of race, Hackett was seen by many as a moderate, especially in comparison to his predecessors J. Wyeth Chandler
J. Wyeth Chandler
Wyeth Chandler served as mayor of Memphis, Tennessee from 1972 to 1982. Chandler succeeded the controversial Henry Loeb, who battled local sanitation workers during a strike that brought Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis in April 1968....
(1972–82) and Henry Loeb
Henry Loeb
Henry Loeb III was the mayor of Memphis, Tennessee for two separate terms in the 1960s, from 1960 through 1963, and 1968 through 1971. He gained national notoriety in his second term for his role in opposing the demands of striking sanitation workers in February 1968...
(1968–71). He appointed many African-Americans as division directors, most notably James Ivey as police director and Greg Duckett as chief administrative officer.
After his 1991 defeat, Hackett worked for several non-profit agencies over the next 15 years. In July 2006, he became the CEO/director of the Children's Museum of Memphis
Children's Museum of Memphis
The Children's Museum of Memphis is located in Midtown Memphis at 2525 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.CMOM’s mission is to create memorable learning experiences through the joy of play in hands-on exhibits and programs. The museum offers interactive and educational exhibits and...
.