A Guide to the History of Richardson, Texas: Mayors of Richardson

Mayors of Richardson

Although Richardson was founded in 1873, it had no mayor until incorporation in 1925, at which time 35-year-old grocery-store co-owner Tom McKamy was elected to head the new city government. Mayors serve a two-year term after being elected to office in odd numbered years. Mayoral and City Council election is held in April and the winners take office in May. Candidates usually run on a non-partisan ticket. To date, twenty-four persons have held the office of Mayor of Richardson, some of them multiple times. Before 1956, mayors were elected by popular vote. Between 1957 and 1989, mayors were selected by the city council from one of their members. Since 1989, mayors have again been elected by popular vote. Here is a list of the Mayors of Richardson from 1925 to the present-day (2025).

1	Thomas F. "Tom" McKamy Born 1889, Carrollton, Texas; died 1959, Richardson, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Grocery store co-owner and funeral home co-owner; handled funeral and burial arrangements of notorious Depression-era bandit Bonnie Parker.	In office 3 terms: 1925-1927, 1933-1935 and 1935-1937 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
2	William Sherwood Spotts Born 1865, Bonham, Texas; died 1931, Bonham, Texas. Buried at Willow Wild Cemetery, Bonham, Texas. Newspaper publisher and co-owner of Harben-Spotts Printing Company. President of Texas Press Association.	In office: 1927-1929 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
3	Kit C. Floyd Born 1880, Richardson, Texas; died 1946, Richardson, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. First (and so far, only) Richardson-born Mayor. Grandson of pioneer settlers John B. and Julia Ann Floyd. Lumberyard owner. Huffhines Street home still standing and being used as a residence.	In office: 1929-1931 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
4	Jesse "Jess" M. Harben Born 1888, Kaufman, Texas; died 1973, Richardson, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Drugstore co-owner; an elementary school in Richardson is named in his honor. Huffhines Street home still standing and being used as a residence.	In office: 1931-1933
5	Thomas J. "Tom" Jackson Born 1889, Dallas, Texas; died 1955, Dallas, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Real Estate agent; bank director; RISD trustee. Office, housed in the oldest commercial building in Richardson (built c. 1895), still standing at 110 E. Main Street.	In office: 5 terms: 1937-1939, 1939-1941, 1941-1943, 1943-1945, & 1945-1947
6	Elmer L. Dabney Born 1895, Giles County, Tennessee; died 1952, Richardson, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Farmer and major oil company employee (32 years).	In office: almost 3 terms: 1947-1949, 1949-1951 & 1951-1952; died in office Find-a-Grave memorial link.
7	Dr. Thomas C. Longnecker Born 1913, Union City, Indiana; died Plainview, Texas, 2005. Buried at Plainview Memorial Park, Plainview, Texas. First Richardson Mayor with a Ph.D.; research scientist (agronomist). Lt. Col. U.S. Army during World War II.	In office: 1952-1953 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
8	A. William "Bill" Walvoord Born 1904; died 1975, Richardson, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas Hat company employee for 29 years.	In office: 1953-1955 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
8	Richard Venable Thompson Born 1917, Itasca, Texas; died 2008, Richardson, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Assistant Dallas County Fire Marshal. Graduate of Richardson High School, class of 1936.	In office 2 terms: 1955-1957 & 1957-1959; last mayor popularly elected before the Charter of 1956 adopted and the first mayor selected under the Charter of 1956. Find-a-Grave memorial link.
9	Dr. Glenister "Glen" Hoskins Born 1911, Van Buren, Carter County, Missouri; died 1978, Dallas, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Associate Dean of the School of Humanities and Science, and Professor, at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Second Mayor of Richardson to hold a Ph.D.	In office: 1959-1961 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
10	William B. "Bill" Strange Born 1921, Dallas, Texas; died 2012. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Graduate of Woodrow Wilson H.S., Dallas, Texas. Served in U.S. Army during World War II and Korea. Vice President for Sammons Communications.	In office: 1961-1963 Find-a-Grave memorial link. None found.
11	Herbert M. "Herb" Ryan Born Runge, Texas, 1926; died Richardson, Texas, 2017. Buried at Restland Memorial Park. SMU Graduate. Employee of Dresser Industries in Dallas.	In office: 1963-1965 & 1965-1967 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
12	Robert William Porter Born 1926, in Monmouth, Illinois; died 1991, in Dallas, Texas. Buried at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Served in the United States Navy. Served as a Federal District Judge. Federal Judicial Center Biography	In office less than 1 term: 1967; resigned Find-a-Grave memorial link.
12	John J. Gordon Born 1917;died 2005, Oxford, Mississippi. Buried at Oxford Memorial Cemetery, Oxford, Mississippi. Served in the United States Navy. B.S. from University of Michigan. Assistant General Counsel with the law department at State Farm Insurance Companies.	In office less than 1 term: 1967-1969 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
14	Raymond D. Noah Born New Mexico, 1932. SMU Law School graduate. Attorney. Former chairman of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. Former DART board director. Past President, Texas Municipal League. Municipal Court Judge.	In office 7 terms: 1969-1971, 1971-1973. 1973-1975, 1975-1977, 1977-1979, 1979-1981 & 1981-1983
15	Martha Ritter Born Spaulding Township, Iowa, 1938; died 2018, Richardson, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Dallas County Justice-of-the-Peace for 18 years.	In office 2 terms: 1983-1985 & 1985-1987 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
16	Charles L. Spann Born 1941.	In office 2 terms: 1987-1989 and 1989-1991 First Mayor following change to 1956 charter, allowing for popular vote, rather than city council selection.
17	Gary Slagel Born Illinois, 1944. CEO at CapitalSoft, Inc. Chair of DART board of directors.	In office 9 terms: 1991-1993, 1993-1995, 1995-1997, 1997-1999, 1999-2001, 2001-2003, 2003-2005, 2005-2007 & 2009-2011 Longest-serving mayor (so far)
18	Stephen "Steve" Mitchell Born 1962. Graduate of McKinney High School and University of North Texas. Wikipedia article	In office: 2007-2009
19	Bobby Lee Townshend Born 1933, Durant, Oklahoma; died 2017, Dallas, Texas. Buried at Restland Memorial Park. 37-year employee of Texas Instruments.	In office: 2011-2013 Find-a-Grave memorial link.
20	Laura Gibbs Maczka Jordan Born 1965, Liberal, Kansas Wikipedia article	In office: 2013-2015 Convicted in 2021 of bribery and tax fraud. Sentenced in 2022 to a 6-year federal prison term.
22	Paul Voelker Born 1958. Graduate of William Penn University. CEO of TrenData Inc.	In office 4 terms: 2015-2017, 2017-2019, 2019-2021, 2021-2023
23	Robert "Bob" Dubey Born 1954, Dallas, Texas. 40 years in public education as Teacher/Coach/Athletic Director.	In office: 2023-2025
24	Amir Omar Born 1972, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. B.S. Texas A.&M. University. HydroPoint Data Systems - Senior VP Strategic Services Wikipedia article	In office: 2025-present