List of mayors of Lawrence, Massachusetts

The Mayor of Lawrence is the head of the municipal government in Lawrence, Massachusetts. There was no Mayor of Lawrence from April 14, 1847 until March 21, 1853, because up to that point Lawrence was still incorporated as a town. The Town of Lawrence was administered by the Board of Selectmen.

Mayor of Lawrence
Flag of Lawrence
Incumbent
Brian De Peña
since November 12, 2021
StyleHis/Her Honor
TypeChief executive
Member ofSchool Committee
ResidenceNone official
SeatLawrence City Hall
NominatorNon-partisan nominating petition
AppointerPopular vote
Term lengthFour years
Constituting instrumentLawrence City Charter
PrecursorLawrence Board of Selectmen
(1847-1853)
Formation1853
First holderCharles Storer Storrow
Websitewww.cityoflawrence.com/27/Office-of-The-Mayor

List of mayors

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# Mayor Picture Term Party Notes
1st Charles Storer Storrow   1853–1854 Whig First mayor under the original city charter.
2nd Enoch Bartlett 1854–1855 Democratic
3rd Albert Warren 1855–1857 Native American Party
4th John R. Rollins 1857–1859 Whig
5th Henry K. Oliver   1859–1860 Republican
6th Daniel Saunders, Jr. 1860–1861 Democratic Saunders was the founder of Lawrence.
7th James K. Barker 1861–1862 Republican
8th William H. P. Wright 1862–1864 Republican
9th Alfred J. French 1864–1865 Republican
10th Milton Bonney 1865–January 1, 1866 Republican
11th Pardon Armington January 1, 1866–1867 Republican
12th Nathaniel P. H. Melvin 1867–1869 Democratic
13th Frank Davis 1869–January 3, 1870 Republican
14th Nathaniel P. H. Melvin January 3, 1870–1871 Democratic
15th S. B. W. Davis 1871–1872 Republican
16th John K. Tarbox   1873–January 4, 1875 Democratic
17th Robert H. Tewksbury January 4, 1875–January 3, 1876 Republican
18th Edmund R. Hayden January 3, 1876–1876 Democratic
19th Caleb Saunders January 1, 1877–1877 Democratic
20th James R. Simpson 1878–1880 Republican
21st Henry Kingman Webster 1881–1881 Republican
22nd John Breen   1882–1884 Democratic First Irish born or Roman Catholic Mayor in New England.
23rd James R. Simpson 1885–1885 Republican
24th Alexander B. Bruce   1886–1887 Democratic
25th Alvin E. Mack 1888–1889 Republican
26th John W. Crawford 1890–1890 Democratic
27th Lewis P. Collins 1891–1891 Republican
28th Henry P. Doe 1892–1892 Democratic
29th Alvin E. Mack 1893–1893 Republican
30th Charles G. Rutter 1894–1895 Democratic
31st George S. Junkins 1896–1897 Republican
32nd James H. Eaton 1898–1899 Republican
33rd James F. Leonard 1900–1902 Democratic
34th Alexander F. Grany 1903–January 4, 1904
35th Cornelius F. Lynch January 4, 1904–1905
36th John P. Kane 1906–1908
37th William P. White 1909–July 25, 1910 Resigned after he was convicted on bribery charges and sentenced to three years in the house of correction.
White's resignation was effective when accepted by both branches of the city council on July 25, 1910.
Acting Thomas M. Jordan July 25, 1910–August 29, 1910 Served as acting mayor in his role as chairman of the board of aldermen.
38th John T. Cahill August 29, 1910–January 1, 1912 Democratic Elected by a joint session of the city council to fill the vacancy caused by White's resignation.
39th Michael A. Scanlon January 1, 1912–August 16, 1914 A new city charter went into effect on January 1, 1912, creating a commission form of government and giving the mayor a two-year term beginning with Scanlon. On January 15, 1912, Scanlon requested the state militia to suppress the 'Bread and Roses strike', resulting in the death of a striker. On February 24, 1912, Scanlon ordered police to prevent striking workers' children from traveling to Washington, D.C., for a protest march. The mothers and children were beaten as they gathered at the train station. Scanlon died in office.
40th John P. Kane 1914–1915 To fill vacancy
41st John J. Hurley 1916–1919
42nd William P. White 1920–1921
43rd Daniel W. Mahoney 1922–1923
44th Walter T. Rochefort 1924–1928
45th Michael A. Landers 1928–1931
46th William P. White 1932–1933
47th Walter A. Griffin 1934–1942
48th James P. Meehan 1942–1951 Democratic
49th John J. Buckley 1952–1965 Democratic
50th Daniel P. Kiley, Jr. 1966–1971
51st John J. Buckley 1972–1977 Democratic
52nd Lawrence P. LeFebre 1978–1983 Democratic
53rd John J. Buckley 1984-January 2, 1986 Democratic
54th Kevin J. Sullivan January 2, 1986–1991 Democratic Switched from Democrat to Republican[1]
1991–1993 Republican Resigned to accept an appointment as head of State Transportation
Acting George Miller 1993
Acting Leonard J. Degnan 1993 Democratic
55th Mary Claire Kennedy 1993–1998 Republican
56th Patricia Dowling 1998–2001 Democratic Resigned to accept an appointment as a state district court judge.
Acting Marcos Devers   September 2001 – November, 2001 Democratic First Hispanic mayor of Lawrence.
57th Michael J. Sullivan November 2001 - January 4, 2010 Republican
58th William Lantigua   January 4, 2010 – January 4, 2014 Democratic
59th Dan Rivera   January 4, 2014 - January 9, 2021 Democratic
Acting Kendrys Vasquez   January 9, 2021 – November 12, 2021 Democratic
60th Brian De Peña   November 12, 2021 - Democratic

Notes

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  1. ^ Zitner, Aaron (June 9, 1991). "Democratic state party members caucus for open committee slot". Boston Globe.

References

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  • Arrington, Benjamin F. Arrington: Municipal history of Essex County in Massachusetts, Volume 2 (1922).
  • Hayes, Jonathan Franklin Chesley: History of the city of Lawrence, Lawrence, Ma.: (1868).
  • Merrill, C.G.: The Lawrence gazetteer : containing a record of the important events in Lawrence and vicinity from 1845 to 1894, also, a history of the corporations, industrial establishments, churches, societies, clubs, and other organizations; national, state and municipal statistics, and a variety of useful information (1894).
  • Wadsworth, Horace Andrew, History of Lawrence, Massachusetts: with Portraits and Biographical Sketches, Lawrence, Ma.: Lawrence Eagle Steam Job Printing Office. (1880).