List of mayors of Pittsburgh


The Mayor of Pittsburgh is the chief executive of the government of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Pittsburgh. This article is a listing of past mayors of Pittsburgh.
Prior to the 1816 city charter, the Borough of Pittsburgh had its council elect a "Chief Burgess" among themselves. After the borough rechartered itself as a city, its first seven "mayors" were selected in a similar fashion as the Chief Burgesses had been under borough council. It was not until Mayor Samuel Pettigrew in the 1830s that general elections of popular vote were conducted among all the city's voters to determine who would hold the mayor's office. Pettigrew was both the last "selected by council" mayor and the first "generally elected" mayor of Pittsburgh. From 1901 to 1903 the state legislature took control of the city on the grounds of corruption by former Mayor William J. Diehl with the passage of the so-called "ripper bill" and appointed the unelected "recorders" Joseph Brown and Adam Brown who were only answerable to the state government. Since 1903, all mayors have been popularly elected. The current mayor, since January 2014, is Democrat Bill Peduto.

Chief Burgesses (1794–1813)

No.Chief BurgessTermPartyNotes
1George Robinson1794–c. 1800Arrested on orders from President George Washington for rebel activity during the Whiskey Rebellion.
2John Park1800–1801
3Dr. George Stevenson1801–1802
4Isaac Craig1802–1803Federalist
5James O'Hara1803–1804FederalistFormerly 6th Quartermaster General of the United States Army and Revolutionary War veteran.
6General Pressley Neville1804–1805Revolutionary War veteran.
7General John Wilkinsc. 1805–c. 1812Formerly 7th and last Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army
8William Steele1812–1813

Mayors (1816–present)

No.MayorTermPartyNotesOpposition
1Ebenezer Denny #1816–1817FederalistFirst "appointed" mayor after city charter, resigned from office with health concerns, Revolutionary War veteran.
2John Darragh1817–1825FederalistAppointed by City Council, formerly president of the bank of Pittsburgh.
3John M. Snowden1825–1828Democratic-Republican, JacksonianAppointed by City Council, formerly president of the bank of Pittsburgh and county treasurer, edited the Pittsburgh Mercury.
4Magnus Miller Murray1828–1830Jacksonian, DemocratAppointed by City Council
5Matthew B. Lowrie1830–1831Anti-MasonicAppointed by City Council, brother was a U.S. Senator and son became Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
6Magnus Miller Murray1831–1832DemocratAppointed by City Council
7Samuel Pettigrew1832–1836DemocratAppointed by City Council, later won the first mayoral election
7Samuel Pettigrew1832–1836Jackson and Clay Appointed by City Council, later won the first mayoral election
7Samuel Pettigrew1832–1836Democratic and Workingmen's Appointed by City Council, later won the first mayoral election
8Dr. Jonas R. McClintock1836–1839Democrat Elected mayor at the age of 28, became the first man to assume the office from a general election. Later led a Union company in the American Civil War.
8Dr. Jonas R. McClintock1836–1839City Elected mayor at the age of 28, became the first man to assume the office from a general election. Later led a Union company in the American Civil War.
8Dr. Jonas R. McClintock1836–1839City Improvement Elected mayor at the age of 28, became the first man to assume the office from a general election. Later led a Union company in the American Civil War.
9William Little1839–1840Independent
10William W. Irwin1840–1841Whig Elected to congress and appointed United States Ambassador to Denmark after leaving office.
11James Thomson1841–1842Whig
12Alexander Hay1842–1845Whig After office he was commander in the Mexican War, and captain in the Civil War.
12Alexander Hay1842–1845Volunteer After office he was commander in the Mexican War, and captain in the Civil War.
12Alexander Hay1842–1845Independent/Volunteer After office he was commander in the Mexican War, and captain in the Civil War.
13William J. Howard1845–1846WhigLongtime president of the "Guardians of the Poor", forerunner of the Salvation Army
14William Kerr1846–1847Democrat
15Gabriel Adams1847–1849WhigAfter office was appointed state judge
16John Herron1849–1850WhigBefore office was a captain in the Mexican War, hero of the Siege of Veracruz.
17Joseph Barker1850–1851People's and Anti-CatholicElected while in jail for inciting anti-Catholic and anti-Masonic riots. The itinerate preacher was released to serve his one-year mayoral term. Barker repeatedly sought re-election, but failed. Then, he was decapitated when he got too close to a train.-
18John B. Guthrie1851–1853DemocratFather of future mayor George W. Guthrie, served in Mexican War, was the longtime Customs Collector for Pittsburgh
19Robert M. Riddle1853–1854WhigFormerly Postmaster of Pittsburgh, edited the Commercial Journal
20Ferdinand E. Volz1854–1856Whig Oversaw cholera epidemic response
20Ferdinand E. Volz1854–1856Whig-Democratic fusion Oversaw cholera epidemic response
21William Bingham1856–1857American
22Henry A. Weaver1857–1860RepublicanAfter office served as U.S. Collector of Revenue for Pittsburgh
23George Wilson1860–1862RepublicanFormerly Pittsburgh Public Schools Director
24Benair C. Sawyer1862–1864RepublicanAfter office moved to Colorado then to California making a fortune in mining
25James Lowry, Jr.1864–1866Union City
26William C. McCarthy1866–1868RepublicanFormerly a legend as a City fire fighter and commander, during administration ended the police practice of assuring "All is Well" on the hour, later served as city controller.
27James Blackmore1868–1869Workingmen'sFormerly Chief Clerk of City
28Jared M. Brush1869–1872RepublicanFormerly city councilor, served as a minister during the Civil War.
29James Blackmore1872–1875DemocratFormerly Chief Clerk of City
30William C. McCarthy1875–1878RepublicanFormerly a legend as a Pittsburgh Fire Fighter and commander, during administration ended the police practice of assuring "All is Well" on the hour, later served as city controller.
31Robert Liddell1878–1881DemocratBefore and after office was a brewer and liquor dealer.Miles S. Humphreys
32Robert W. Lyon1881–1884DemocratEarned two Purple Hearts in the Civil War, oil businessman before being elected, worked in a steel mill after leaving office.Miles S. Humphreys
33Andrew Fulton1884–1887RepublicanFormer city councilman; temporarily retired to breed horses in Colorado; later served as county director of the Division of Weights and MeasuresRobert Liddell
34William McCallin1887–1890RepublicanFormer County Coroner and County SheriffBernard J. McKenna
35Henry I. Gourley1890–1893RepublicanFormer city councilman; became city clerk after officeJohn H. Bailey
36Bernard J. McKenna1893–1896DemocratFormer city councilman and firefighterJohn S. Lambie &
F.C. Beinhauer
37Henry P. Ford1896–1899RepublicanIndustrialist, with interests in knife manufacturing.George W. Guthrie
38William J. Diehl #1899–1901RepublicanFormer Deputy Sheriff; impeached on corruption chargesJohn C. O'Donnell
39Adam M. Brown1901RepublicanFormer Court of Common Pleas judge; California Gold Rush speculator; earned the nickname of "Major" due to his military servicenon-elected
40Joseph O. Brown †1901–1903RepublicanFormer Allegheny County Prothonotary and city Director of Public Safety; died in office of a heart attacknon-elected
41William B. Hays1903–1906Citizens / DemocratIndustrialist, with interests in coal and lumberJohn C. Haymaker
42George W. Guthrie1906–1909DemocratAttorney; son of former mayor John B. Guthrie; served as United States Ambassador to Japan after office.Alexander M. Jenkinson
43William A. Magee1909–1914RepublicanFormer Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney and city councilman
44Joseph G. Armstrong1914–1918RepublicanFormer city councilman and Allegheny County Coroner; nicknamed "Joe the Builder" for his extensive public works projectsStephen G. Porter
45Edward V. Babcock1918–1922RepublicanFormer city councilman; later served as Allegheny County Commissioner; personally purchased for county parklands. Purchased thousands of acres of south Florida timberland, estate sold to the state for conservation in the 1990s.William A. Magee
46William A. Magee1922–1926RepublicanFormer City Council PresidentWilliam N. McNair
47Charles H. Kline #1926–1933RepublicanFormer State Representative and State Senator; convicted in 1932 by jury on 49 counts of corruption, but charges later overturned on appeal; resigned due to party pressure over corruption chargesJames F Malone, Tom Dunn
48John S. Herron1933–1934RepublicanFormer City Council Presidentnon-elected
49William N. McNair #1934–1936DemocratIdealistic attorney; commended for his honesty, but criticized for his inability to get along with city council or the bureaucracy; arrested in 1935 for failing to authorize the return of a fine to an illegal gambler whose conviction had been overturned; resigned due to political infightingJohn Herron
50Cornelius D. Scully1936–1946DemocratFormer City Council PresidentBob Waddell
50Cornelius D. Scully1936–1946DemocratFormer City Council PresidentHarmar Denny
51David L. Lawrence #1946–1959DemocratNamed one of the all-time 50 greatest American mayors; elected governor in 1958; former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and U.S. Collector of Revenue; considered a "king maker" by Democratic Party Conventions due to his crafting of compromise candidates of U.S. Presidents Truman and the Kennedy/Johnson tickets.Bob Waddell
51David L. Lawrence #1946–1959DemocratNamed one of the all-time 50 greatest American mayors; elected governor in 1958; former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and U.S. Collector of Revenue; considered a "king maker" by Democratic Party Conventions due to his crafting of compromise candidates of U.S. Presidents Truman and the Kennedy/Johnson tickets.Tice Ryan
51David L. Lawrence #1946–1959DemocratNamed one of the all-time 50 greatest American mayors; elected governor in 1958; former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and U.S. Collector of Revenue; considered a "king maker" by Democratic Party Conventions due to his crafting of compromise candidates of U.S. Presidents Truman and the Kennedy/Johnson tickets.Leo Kane
51David L. Lawrence #1946–1959DemocratNamed one of the all-time 50 greatest American mayors; elected governor in 1958; former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and U.S. Collector of Revenue; considered a "king maker" by Democratic Party Conventions due to his crafting of compromise candidates of U.S. Presidents Truman and the Kennedy/Johnson tickets.John Drew
52Thomas Gallagher1959DemocratFormer State Representative and City Council President; became mayor at age 75non-elected
53Joseph M. Barr1959–1970DemocratFormer State SenatorWill Crehan
53Joseph M. Barr1959–1970DemocratFormer State SenatorVince Rovitto
54Peter F. Flaherty #1970–1977DemocratFormer city councilman; resigned after he was appointed Deputy U.S. Attorney General by President Carter; Democratic nominee for governor in 1978, and for U.S. Senate in 1974 and 1980, losing all three races by close marginsJohn Tabor
54Peter F. Flaherty #1970–1977"Fusion" DemocratFormer city councilman; resigned after he was appointed Deputy U.S. Attorney General by President Carter; Democratic nominee for governor in 1978, and for U.S. Senate in 1974 and 1980, losing all three races by close marginsUnopposed
55Richard Caliguiri †1977–1988Independent DemocratFormer City Council President; won 1978 election as an independent, after initially deciding not to run due to a lack of support from party leaders; died in office from amyloidosisTom Foerster &
Vince Cosetti
55Richard Caliguiri †1977–1988DemocratFormer City Council President; won 1978 election as an independent, after initially deciding not to run due to a lack of support from party leaders; died in office from amyloidosisFred Goehringer
55Richard Caliguiri †1977–1988DemocratFormer City Council President; won 1978 election as an independent, after initially deciding not to run due to a lack of support from party leaders; died in office from amyloidosisHenry Sneath
56Sophie Masloff1988–1994DemocratFormer City Council President; began her career in Pittsburgh politics as a Court secretary in 1938 at age 18Uncontested
57Thomas J. Murphy, Jr. ♥1994–2006DemocratFormer State Representative; lectures internationally on cities as a senior fellow at Washington, DC-based Urban Land InstituteDuane Darkins &
Kathy Matta
57Thomas J. Murphy, Jr. ♥1994–2006DemocratFormer State Representative; lectures internationally on cities as a senior fellow at Washington, DC-based Urban Land InstituteHarry Frost
57Thomas J. Murphy, Jr. ♥1994–2006DemocratFormer State Representative; lectures internationally on cities as a senior fellow at Washington, DC-based Urban Land InstituteJames Carmine
58Bob O'Connor †2006DemocratFormer City Council President; died in office from a brain tumor.Joe Weinroth &
Titus North
59Luke Ravenstahl ♥2006–2014DemocratFormer City Council President; became mayor at age 26, making him the youngest mayor of a top 100 city.Mark DeSantis
59Luke Ravenstahl ♥2006–2014DemocratFormer City Council President; became mayor at age 26, making him the youngest mayor of a top 100 city.Dok Harris &
Kevin Acklin
60Bill Peduto ♥2014–presentDemocratFormer city councilmanJoshua Wander
60Bill Peduto ♥2014–presentDemocratFormer city councilmanUnopposed

† Died in Office; # Resigned from Office ; ♥ still living

Longest tenures