Charles Stephen Trimmier (October 25, 1918 – January 23, 1967) was a

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

-area community leader and politician who served one term as the city's Public Works Commissioner (1961-1965), during which he also served two one-year terms as the city's Mayor. Both of his terms as

Mayor of Mobile This is a list of mayors, or persons holding the equivalent office, of Mobile, Alabama, United States. When Mobile came into the United States, it operated under a government system where the chief executive was called "President" Presidents of ...

were when the title was co-extensive with the presidency of the City Commission.

Early and family life

Charles Trimmier was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

to the former Elma Bross, and her steamfitter husband Buford Trimmier, who had been born in North Carolina. His eldest of three brothers, John Alden Trimmier, had been born 11 years earlier in Ohio, and his eldest of several sisters had been born in West Virginia, as had their mother. By 1930, his mother had moved with four daughters and two sons to

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, where his 20-year-old daughter Helen supported them by working as a clerk at Bell Telephone company. He married Lucille Elizabeth Anderson, who was active in several clubs in Mobile and survived him by four decades (d. 2007). They had a son, Charles S. Trimmier Jr., who survived them.

Career

In 1937, Trimmier enlisted in the Marines, but was discharged 2 years later. In 1940, Trimmier lived in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...

with his wife and worked for Continental National Bank. Trimmier enlisted in the Alabama Army National Guard on January 1, 1951, but was released on August 1, 1951, as the Korean War continued.

Political career

Trimmier defeated Mobile's incumbent public works commissioner Charlie Hackmeyer, and began his four-year term in 1961. He had criticized the incumbent administration, and Hackmeyer in particular for his support in Mobile's African-American community, such that in the general election the only incumbent commissioner re-elected was veteran

Joseph N. Langan Joseph Nicholas Langan (1912–2004) was an American lawyer, soldier and Democratic politician who served in both houses of the Alabama legislature and became known for his progressive policies in Mobile, Alabama following his military service i ...

. Although facing a tax indictment, Trimmier formed a biracial Mobile Economic Commission to help secure federal funds for welfare programs in his city. Nonetheless,

Lambert C. Mims Lambert C. Mims (April 20, 1930 – November 25, 2008) was a politician and author who for two decades was a member of the City Commission of Mobile, Alabama (1965-1985). During this period, he also served co-terminously in several one-year term ...

, who had considerable support from his Baptist congregation, defeated Trimmier's re-election bid in 1965, and would win re-election numerous times, serving 20 years. Meanwhile, 1964, Trimmier ran to represent

Alabama's 1st congressional district Alabama's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It includes the entirety of Washington, Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia and Mon ...

, since the Mobile area effectively had no congressman after redistricting cost veteran

Frank Boykin Frank William Boykin Sr. (February 21, 1885 – March 12, 1969) served as a Democratic Congressman in Alabama's 1st congressional district from 1935-1963. The son of sharecroppers, Boykin became the wealthiest man in Mobile, although his entrep ...

his seat. Trimmier survived the first May primary (in which Clara Stone Fields Collins was eliminated, but lost the runoff to

John M. Tyson Sr. John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, who then lost to Republican Jack Edwards in the general election.

Death and legacy

Trimmer died in a car crash near Spanish Fort, Baldwin County, Alabama on January 23, 1967. He is buried at Mobile's Memorial Stone Garden cemetery.findagrave.com no. 62364341 Trimmier Park at 3600 Alba Club Rd in Mobile was named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trimmier, Charles S Mayors of Mobile, Alabama 1918 births 1967 deaths Road incident deaths in Alabama 20th-century American politicians American segregationists