Walter H. "Barney" Reynolds (January 22, 1901 – April 7, 1987), was an American politician who served seven consecutive terms as 30th Mayor of

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

, totaling fourteen years of service. He served from 1951 until 1965.

Early life

Reynolds was born in the "Irish End" of Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood, to Bernard and Catherine Reynolds. He attended St. Mary's Elementary School, the old English High School, and later the former St. Mary's Commercial High School. He worked for the Western Electric Company from 1922 to 1933. He never married.

Political career

Reynolds served as administrative assistant to Mayor Dennis J. Roberts. He became budget officer in 1943, and finance director in 1947. When Roberts ran for governor in 1950, Reynolds entered the mayor's race against Republican Robert E. Burns. Despite never having held elective office before, Reynolds won the election with 56,092 votes to Burns' 23,395. Reynolds was elected to office a total of seven consecutive terms. His accomplishments as mayor included: * The three-man Bureau of Police and Fire was replaced with a Public Safety Commissioner * Olneyville Expressway was completed * A system to prevent parking fraud for state workers * A new zoning code was developed * West River Industrial Park was built * New fire stations were built in 1953 * A new central library was dedicated in 1954 * Expanded street construction relieved traffic congestion * Stricter housing codes were enforced * Construction of the

Fox Point Hurricane Barrier The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is a long tidal flood barrier spanning the Providence River in Providence, Rhode Island, located upstream from Fox Point. It was constructed between 1960 and 1966 to protect the low-lying downtown area of the city ...

was begun after

Hurricane Carol Hurricane Carol was among the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island in the United States. It developed from a tropical wave near the Bahamas on August 25, 1954, and slowly strengthened as it ...

struck the area in 1954; the barrier was not completed until 1966. * Financial aid to public schools was increased * Six new elementary schools were built * A master plan for the development of downtown was prepared, but it was not implemented * The Providence Human Relations Commission was established In 1964, Reynolds lost favor with Democratic city chairman Lawrence P. McGarry, Rhode Island's most influential party boss. McGarry backed the young city councilman Joseph A. Doorley Jr. in the 1964 Mayoral election, and Reynolds' political career was over.

Honors and legacy

He was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1985. Reynolds received honorary degrees from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

and

Bryant College Bryant University is a private university in Smithfield, Rhode Island. It has two colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business, and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. History Butler Exc ...

. In 1977, the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier was named in Reynolds's honor.

References

External links

Walter H. Reynolds
at Providence City website {{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Walter H. 1901 births 1987 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Rhode Island Mayors of Providence, Rhode Island Rhode Island Democrats American people of Irish descent Burials in Rhode Island