Alfonso Juan Cervantes (August 27, 1920 – June 23, 1983) was the 39th
Mayor of St. Louis,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, from 1965 to 1973.
Personal life and early political career
Born in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, Cervantes attended
St. Louis University High School and
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...
before serving in the
Merchant Marine during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He married the former Carmen Davis, and they had six children. Cervantes' political career began in 1949 when he was elected to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen representing the 15th Ward. He was re-elected to that position in 1953 and 1957. In 1955 he was unsuccessful in a citywide bid for President of the Board of Aldermen. He was elected to that post in 1959, but was defeated in a bid for re-election in 1963.
Term as mayor
In 1965, Cervantes challenged incumbent Mayor
Raymond Tucker, who was seeking an unprecedented fourth term in office. He defeated Tucker by a vote of 83,698 to 68,379. A third candidate, John Noel, received 1,087 votes. Mr. Cervantes won election as Mayor in the April 6, 1965 City election, over Republican
Maurice R. Zumwalt, by a vote of 102,961 to 47,510.
During his term as mayor, Cervantes focused in particular on the issues of
race relations
Race relations is a sociological concept that emerged in Chicago in connection with the work of sociologist Robert E. Park and the Chicago race riot of 1919. Race relations designates a paradigm or field in sociology and a legal concept in the ...
, crime-fighting, and city finance. While many other large cities suffered through
race riot
This is a list of ethnic riots by country, and includes riots based on ethnic, sectarian, xenophobic, and racial conflict. Some of these riots can also be classified as pogroms.
Africa
Americas
United States
Nativist period: 1700s ...
s during the late 1960s, the peace was kept in St. Louis. Mayor Cenvantes met with and talked at length with
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
leaders and included African-Americans in City government positions and city commissions.
During Cervantes' term a Commission on Crime and Law Enforcement was created, although Life Magazine accused Cervantes and the head of the Commission, lawyer
Morris Shenker
Morris A. Shenker (January 10, 1907 – August 9, 1989) was an American lawyer best known for his connections to labor leader Jimmy Hoffa and Teamster funding of Las Vegas in the 1960s.
Shenker was a Russian Jewish immigrant who arrived in St. Lo ...
, of strong ties to organized crime.
[Life Magazine, May 29, 1970, pages 24-31] Voters passed a one per cent sales tax to put policemen on horseback in city parks. Car thefts were reduced by his 'lock it and pocket the key' program. Mayor Cervantes was successful in getting a $2,000,000 bond issue passed for completion of the Gateway Arch and grounds. This was necessary to get $6,000,000 in Federal aid. A $15,000,000 bond issue for street lighting and a juvenile center was passed in 1972.
Other successes during his two terms included establishment of Night Housing Court, organization of a Business Development Commission to help keep businesses in the City and bring in new ones along with setting up the Area Office of Aging, Beautification Commission, and Citizens Service Bureau to handle complaints. The
Land Reutilization Authority was created to take over vacant properties and group them for re-use.
Mayor Cervantes failed in his attempt to get a new airport started in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, close to
downtown St. Louis
Downtown St. Louis is the central business district of St. Louis, Missouri, the hub of tourism and entertainment, and the anchor of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The downtown is bounded by Cole Street to the north, the river front to the eas ...
. He thought this would be a great benefit to the City and downtown St. Louis, but the proposal generated great controversy and helped lead to his defeat for a third term in
1973. Cervantes was defeated in that bid by
John Poelker in the Democratic primary. Cervantes was defeated in another bid for mayor in
1977 by
James F. Conway. Another Cervantes controversy was allowing the demolition of
Pruitt Igoe, which left thousands of residents homeless.
Later life
After serving as mayor, Cervantes taught at St. Louis University and returned as an active manager of his business interests that included Cervantes and Associates Insurance Agency and the Laclede Cab Company. After losing office, Cervantes published a memoir entitled "
Mr. Mayor
''Mr. Mayor'' is an American sitcom television series created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock for NBC. The series stars Ted Danson, Bobby Moynihan, Holly Hunter, Vella Lovell, Mike Cabellon, and Kyla Kenedy and premiered on January 7, 2021. ...
" (
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
:
Nash Publishing, 1974). Cervantes died in St. Louis on June 23, 1983, at age 62. He was buried in
Calvary Cemetery.
What is currently the
America's Center
America's Center is a convention center located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, and is situated next to the Dome at America's Center, the former home of the National Football League's St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams) and the current ...
convention center
A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
complex was originally named for Cervantes in 1977.
References
Brief biographies of St. Louis mayorsat the St. Louis Public Library's website.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cervantes, Alfonso J.
1920 births
1983 deaths
Saint Louis University alumni
Mayors of St. Louis
American sailors
Burials at Calvary Cemetery (St. Louis)
20th-century American politicians
United States Merchant Mariners of World War II