The following lists the individuals who have served as mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska, as well as the ten mayors of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, a county equivalent that includes the city.
Fairbanks, a home rule city in the U.S. state of Alaska, was founded in 1901. It was incorporated as a town on November 10, 1903, pursuant to laws allowing communities in Alaska to incorporate. Following changes in those laws during the latter territorial era, Fairbanks incorporated as a city ca. 1950. When statehood became effective for Alaska in 1959, the Alaska Constitution provided for home rule, a status the citizens of Fairbanks ratified the following year.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough, which encompasses the city and several surrounding towns and villages, was established by an act of the Alaska State Legislature in 1963 (Chapter 52, Session Laws of Alaska 1963), and incorporated on January 1, 1964. The borough seat is in Fairbanks.
Mayors of the city of Fairbanks
The city mayor was originally elected from amongst the council. Later the system changed to elect the mayor directly for a two-year term, but with few responsibilities, as the city was administered by a manager. The mayor began serving as the chief administrator of city government, serving a three-year term, in 1992.
Order Name Term start1E. T. Barnette19032B.D. Mills19063J. Barrack19074Fred Carter19085Joseph Smith19096Mel Sabin19097A.J. Nordale19108F.S. Gordon19119Dan Driscoll191210E.C. Heacock191311Murray C. Smith191312Andrew Nerland191513R.R. Meyers191614G.M. Smith191715Henry T. Ray191716E.E. Suter191817A.L. Wilbur191918C.H. Woodward192119R.W. Ferguson192220Thomas A. Marquam192321Dr. Frank De La Vergne192522Jessie F. Bryant193123Arnold Nordale193324E. B. Collins193425Arthur Leslie Nerland193826William Growden194027Howard G. Hughes194328Alfeld Hjalmar Nordale194529Ray Kohler194830Maurice Johnson194931Robert Hoopes195032Ralph J. Rivers195233Douglas Preston195434Paul B. Haggland195735Joseph M. Ribar196036Darrell Brewington196237Sylvia Ringstad196538H. A. Boucher196639Julian C. Rice197040Harold Gillam197241William Ransom Wood197842Ruth E. Burnett198043Bill Walley198244James D. Nordale198845Wayne S. Nelson199046James C. Hayes199247Steve M. Thompson200148Terry Strle200749Jerry Cleworth201050John Eberhart201351Jim Matherly201652David Pruhs202253 Mindy O'Neall 2025
Mayors of Fairbanks North Star Borough
The borough mayor's position was originally titled chairman, rather than mayor, until the mid-1970s, given the structure which the legislature had originally established for organized boroughs. The term of office had changed from two years to three years at around the same time. The position is non-partisan.
Nr. Name Term start1John D. Schleppegrell19642Harold Gillam19663John A. Carlson19684Bill Allen19825Juanita Helms19856Jim Sampson19907Hank Hove19978Rhonda Boyles (R)20009Jim Whitaker (R)200310Luke T. Hopkins (D)200911Karl Kassel (I)201512Bryce Ward (R)201813Grier Hopkins (D)2024
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