Cecil O. Creal (19 December 1899 – 20 November 1986) was

mayor of Ann Arbor This is a list of mayors of Ann Arbor, Michigan, beginning with Ann Arbor's incorporation as a city on April 4, 1851. References Ann Arbor mayors, Political Graveyard website* Samuel W. Beakes, Past and Present of Washtenaw County' (Washtenaw C ...

, in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, from 1959 to 1965.

Life and career

Creal was born in 1899 in Kiantone,

Chautauqua County, New York Chautauqua County is the westernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the population was 127,657. Its county seat is Mayville, New York, Mayville, an ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he served in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

. Creal married Dama Godfrey of Ann Arbor in 1925. He was an

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

. Creal had two sons, Richard and Robert. Under Ann Arbor's old system of municipal governance, Creal served as President of the Ann Arbor Common Council (City Council) for multiple terms. The council president presided at the meetings then. The mayor under that system was more of a ceremonial figurehead, who had power of veto over council decisions, but did not attend the meetings. Creal ran for

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

mayor as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

in 1959. He defeated

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Lloyd M. Ives, and went on to win two more terms, triumphing over Democrats Dorothee S. Pealy in 1961 and Albert F. Schneider in 1963. Creal did not run for a fourth term in 1965. Creal died in Ann Arbor on November 20, 1986, and is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery. Ann Arbor's Creal Park and Creal Crescent are both named after Mayor Creal.

Sources

Mayors of Ann Arbor page
at ''PoliticalGraveyard.com'' *Arborwe

* 1899 births 1986 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War I Burials in Michigan Mayors of Ann Arbor, Michigan Michigan Republicans 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American Episcopalians {{Michigan-mayor-stub