George Nicholas Goodman
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George Nicholas Goodman (September 5, 1895 – November 3, 1959), was a pharmacist in Mesa, Arizona. He was the mayor of Mesa for 5 different 2 year terms as part of 3 different decades. Goodman served as the executive secretary of the
Arizona State Fair The Arizona State Fair is an annual state fair, held at Arizona State Fairgrounds. It was first held in 1884, but has had various interruptions due to cotton crop failure, the Great Depression era, World War I & World War II years & the COVID-1 ...
Commission at the time of his death, and was the former president of both the Arizona Pharmaceutical Association (now the Arizona Pharmacy Association) and the Arizona Municipal League (now the
League of Arizona Cities and Towns League of Arizona Cities and Towns is a municipal league that provides an important link among the ninety incorporated cities and towns in Arizona. The League is the only organization that connects each and every municipality regardless of size or ...
).


Background

Goodman was born in St. David as the oldest of eight children. The family moved to Safford in 1904. June, 30, 1916 George married Clara Platt. Goodman worked at his father-in-law's Arizona drugstores in Pima, Thatcher, and Safford prior to attending pharmacy school in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. Clara Platt Goodman and George both took two years to complete pharmacy school and relocated in 1924 to
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
to open a drugstore in downtown
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
.


Personal and family life

Goodman was an avid baseball fan, specifically fond of the Chicago Cubs. He was mayor of
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
when the Cubs started holding Spring Training in
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
in 1952. His love of baseball extended to him personally playing softball as the mayor. Those that knew Goodman best described him as "a man of great humility with a Will Rogers type philosophy." Goodman was an insulin-dependent diabetic who at least one time missed a meeting due to an insulin reaction. Goodman enjoyed riding his palomino horse whenever time permitted and had a corral at his home on N Grand just north of University.


Political life

Goodman served on the
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
city council from 1936 to 1948. He ended those 12 years of service when he decided to "retire from politics." Friends persuaded him to run again and he served on the city council from 1952 to 1956. Goodman was popular with the citizens as well as with his fellow councilmen as shown by his five two-year terms as mayor. The people elected the council and the council elected the Mayor. As mayor of
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
in 1953 Goodman officially pulled the switch that turned on the new electric streetlight system for downtown. The system replaced one installed in 1922 with twice the lighting at half of the energy cost. The new lights were guaranteed to last 6,000 hours. While serving as the mayor of
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
in 1955 he and others on the city council pondered the idea of forming a new county due to frustration they were experiencing with
Maricopa County Maricopa County is in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,420,568, making it the state's most populous county, and the fourth-most populous in the United States. It contains about ...
. In 1956 Goodman's last election effort ended in a recount by Goodman whereupon he lost by one vote. Having served on the
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
City Council for 16 years and as mayor for ten of those years he clearly earned the admiration and respect of his peers as shown by the presentation of a gold wristwatch to Goodman by his fellow council members. (The attached article, like many others, say that Goodman was mayor for 12 years. Other documentation shows ten years as mayor. Current records and evidence support the latter.)


Non-elected civic involvement

In January of 1942 Goodman became a board member of a World War II Rationing Board in
Maricopa County Maricopa County is in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,420,568, making it the state's most populous county, and the fourth-most populous in the United States. It contains about ...
which included a "federal appointment making him a regularly constituted agent of the federal government. This board honor was done without pay. In April of 1942 Rationing Board Member and Mayor Goodman visited
Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
to lobby for construction materials for
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
. Goodman served on the board for the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, as part of the Druggist Old Timers Club, and the American Pharmaceutical Association. Goodman was designated a member of the United States Citizens Service Corps for Arizona on February 21, 1944. According to its handbook "The United States Citizens Service Corps consisted of civilian volunteers who were charged with leading the fight against inefficiency, insecurity and poor health in communities in order to keep the homefront strong during World War II." Goodman served as the president of the Arizona Pharmaceutical Association (now the Arizona Pharmacy Association) during 1947-1948. Under Goodman's leadership the Association passed two significant resolutions: 1)Resolution to increase the length of the pharmacy course at the University of Arizona from four to five years including one year of pre-pharmacy work. 2) Resolution approved the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and its courses. The approval was required for the accreditation of schools of pharmacy by the American Council on Pharmacy Education. Goodman passionately represented Mesa and other municipalities through his involvement with the Arizona Municipal League (now the
League of Arizona Cities and Towns League of Arizona Cities and Towns is a municipal league that provides an important link among the ninety incorporated cities and towns in Arizona. The League is the only organization that connects each and every municipality regardless of size or ...
). He served as the vice president of "The League" in 1953, and as the president in 1954. Goodman was appointed executive secretary of the
Arizona State Fair The Arizona State Fair is an annual state fair, held at Arizona State Fairgrounds. It was first held in 1884, but has had various interruptions due to cotton crop failure, the Great Depression era, World War I & World War II years & the COVID-1 ...
Commission in 1956 at an annual salary of $8,400 (equivalent to $77,825.26 in 201

. Executive secretary was the highest role and today the title would be president. Goodman passed away unexpectedly in 1959 while in office. Goodman's appointment came after each of the two immediate proceeding executive secretaries resigned, one holding the office for only two weeks. Both of those men were compensated $1,800 a year more than Goodman. According to a eulogy given at Goodman's funeral he served as a Red Cross Chairman. Member of the Mesa Rotary Club, the Southside Sheriff's Posse, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Posse, and the B.P.O. Elks Lodge in Mesa, Arizona.


Awards and recognition

Goodman was recognized as the Most Valuable Citizen of the Year by
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
for 1955. This recognition was also called the Man of the Year or the Outstanding Citizen. According to a eulogy given at Goodman's funeral he received the Rotarian Citizenship award in 1955. The
League of Arizona Cities and Towns League of Arizona Cities and Towns is a municipal league that provides an important link among the ninety incorporated cities and towns in Arizona. The League is the only organization that connects each and every municipality regardless of size or ...
honored Goodman with the recognition of Life Member (highest honor "The League" can give a former member) in 1958. On June 23, 2019 the Arizona Pharmacy Association (AzPA) recognized Goodman posthumously with the Hall of Fame Award as an “Arizona Pharmacy Pioneer.2019 AzPA Annual Convention Program
6 June. 2019.


Mesa City Council for terms Goodman served

Citizens elected the council to two-year terms and the council elected the mayor from their ranks.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodman, George Nicholas 1895 births 1959 deaths Mayors of Mesa, Arizona Burials in Arizona 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American politicians