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- Notes:
- Joined father's cigar manufacturing company in 1905; they created Dutch Masters brand cigar. Sold out to national company in 1919, but started his own firm in 1921 and prospered making Van Dam cigars. Admirer of FDR, active in Deomcratic politics, he was advocate for public ownership of city bus system. Sold cigar company in 1945 and retired to Florida 5 years later.
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection
- Notes:
- Born in Grand Rapids. City employee for 20 years before elected mayor. Head of building inspection department when elected mayor. Resigned full time job to take part time position as mayor. Resigned after 14 months after being involved in several political controversies. Later became chief building inspector in Kentwood.
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection
- Notes:
- Born in Poland. Came to US in 1915 (approx.). Family name changed from Dyszkiewicz to Davis in 1924 when father became naturalized citizen. Catholic. Appointed mayor when George Welsh resigned. Lost to Goebel in 1950. Elected mayor in 1958. Elected to four terms. Resigned in 1964 to run as Democrat for State Representative. Elected four times. Selected as Speaker Pro Tem. Grocery store manager, shoe store and flower shop owner.
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection
- Notes:
- Democrat. Doctor, who at the time of his term, having suspended medical practice temporarily, was in charge of the D & M Railroad. Later resumed practice, served as a surgeon in the Civil War. Lived in former H. R. Williams house and co-donor of Crescent Park to the city.
- Date Created:
- 1859-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection
- Notes:
- Democrat. Beat Captain Belknap by nine votes. Wealthy bachelor who told of youthful pre-Civil War western adventures. With money from Wisconsin lumber baron father he invested lavishly in banking, timber, industry and trade. Published "Grand Rapids Democrat" in early 1890s, but depression ruined them. Left town heavily in debt, died broke in New York.
- Date Created:
- 1888-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection
- Notes:
- Republican. Wealthy flour mill owner. Later operated private bank, then merged it into the first local national bank, an ancestor of Old Kent. Built Sweet's Hotel, invested in railroads, bred prize cattle, active in lumber and furniture manufacture. His home, built in 1860, is now the Women's City Club.
- Date Created:
- 1860-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection
- Notes:
- Democrat. Originally a farmer near Sparta, involvement in township affairs led to election as county treasurer in 1886, succeeding his brother. Elected Grand Rapids city treasurer 1897-99 and caught embezzling $13,500 but was covered by bondsmen and escaped prosecution. Had manufacturing interests on West Side and was president of 5th National Bank.
- Date Created:
- 1895-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection
- Notes:
- Now serving his third term, Mayor George Heartwell took office on January 1, 2004. During his tenure, City government has implemented a variety of environmental measures, including purchase of renewable resource energy, use of alternative fuels in city vehicles, continued attention to water quality in the Grand River, and widespread implementation of energy conservation measures. In January 2007 the United Nations recognized Grand Rapids as a “Regional Center of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development.”
Grand Rapids is widely recognized as one of the most sustainable cities in America. In 2010 the US Chamber of Commerce gave Grand Rapids the “Nation’s Most Sustainable City” award, and in 2012 Mayor Heartwell was given the first place Climate Protection Award by the US Conference of Mayors.
With twenty-two colleges or universities in the metropolitan area, Grand Rapids is known as a knowledge center. Human medicine, medical education, and health research is the most rapidly growing economic cluster. Even during times of severe economic downturn, Grand Rapids has shown remarkable economic resiliency.
George Heartwell is married to Susan who directs the Student Advancement Foundation. George and Susan are proud parents of three adult children and six extraordinary grandchildren.
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection
- Notes:
- Democrat. Entrepreneurial lumberman, and wooden ware and furniture manufacturer. He was feisty, vigorous, and strong-minded. Later involved in Greenback Party, elected to Congress in 1884 on Fusion Greenback-Democrat ticket. Developed North Park area and ran a street railway to the West Michigan State Fair grounds, which he had donated.
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection
- Notes:
- Originally Whig, he was elected on a "Free Democrat" ticket and became Republican during his first term. A self-made hardware merchant who came to Grand Rapids as a boy of 17 and eventually founded the Foster-Stevens Company, he was noted as kind-hearted and fair. Later elected to U.S. Congress, died in office.
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- Mayors of Grand Rapids digital collection