Hatcher, Richard Gordon (1933-2019), was one of the first African Americans to be elected mayor of a major United States city. Hatcher served five terms as mayor of Gary, Indiana, from 1968 through 1987.
Hatcher was born on July 10, 1933, in Michigan City, Indiana. He graduated from Indiana University and the Valparaiso University School of Law. In 1959, he moved to Gary and began practicing law in nearby East Chicago, Indiana. From 1961 to 1963, he was a deputy prosecutor for Lake County, Indiana. He was elected to Gary’s city council in 1963.
Hatcher ran for mayor of Gary in 1967 in spite of opposition from local Democratic Party leaders. He narrowly won the election, receiving almost all the African American votes. His administration’s improvement projects included the construction of a downtown convention center. But in the 1980’s, when federal funding was reduced, city services suffered. In 1987, Hatcher lost the primary election in his bid for a sixth term. He also ran in 1991, but lost the primary. In 1992, he joined the faculty of the Valparaiso University School of Law. Hatcher died on Dec. 13, 2019.
See also Gary .
