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Richard G. Hatcher
Hatcher in 1967
Mayor of Gary, Indiana
In office January 1, 1968 – January 1, 1988
Preceded by	A. Martin Katz
Succeeded by	Thomas V. Barnes
Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
In office 1981–1985
Personal details
Born	Richard Gordon Hatcher (1933-07-10)July 10, 1933 Michigan City, Indiana, U.S.
Died	December 14, 2019(2019-12-14) (aged 86)
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Indiana University Valparaiso University School of Law
Occupation	Lawyer

Richard Gordon Hatcher (July 10, 1933 - December 14, 2019) was an American politician. On January 1, 1968, he became the first African-American mayor of Gary, Indiana. He and Carl Stokes (who was elected mayor of Cleveland on the same day) became, on November 7, 1967, the first two black elected mayors of cities of more than 100,000 people.

Biography

Hatcher was born in Michigan City, Indiana. He received a B.S. degree in business and government from Indiana University and a bachelor of law with honors in criminal law in 1956 and a J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1959. After moving to Gary, Indiana, Hatcher began practicing law in East Chicago, Indiana. In 1961, he began serving as a deputy prosecutor for Lake County, Indiana, until he was elected to Gary's City Council in 1963. He was the first and only freshman elected president of the City Council in Gary's history.

Elected in 1967, Hatcher was inaugurated mayor of Gary in 1968 and served until 1987. During his tenure as mayor, he became internationally known as a fervent and prolific civil rights spokesman. Hatcher was known for developing innovative approaches to urban problems and for being a national and international spokesman for civil rights, minorities, the poor and America's cities. He often delivered speeches alongside Martin Luther King, Robert F. Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, and other historic proponents of the civil rights movement. On April 5, 1968, he addressed President Lyndon B. Johnson, along with a collection of politicians and civil rights leaders, on the topic of the King assassination the night before and pending civil unrest.

Hatcher was instrumental in getting the 1972 National Black Political Convention to come to Gary when the convention organizers struggled to find a city willing to host the event.

Hatcher's tenure in office was difficult from the start. Although 4 of the 9 city council members were also black, two of these members appeared more loyal to the Democratic machine than to Hatcher. Three of the remaining five white city council members were consistently hostile to Hatcher and his proposals. The reasons for an

1. https://guardianlv.com/2019/12/richard-hatcher-first-african-american-mayor-of-gary-indiana-dies-at-86/
2. Kotz, Nick (2005). "14. Another Martyr". Judgment days : Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., and the laws that changed America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 417. ISBN 0-618-08825-3.
3. Johnson, Lyndon Baines (5 April 1968). "182 – Letter to the Speaker of the House Urging Enactment of the Fair Housing Bill". American Presidency Project. Retrieved 19 July 2012. We should pass the Fair Housing law when the Congress convenes next week.
4. The Indiana History Blog https://blog.history.in.gov/tag/mayor-richard-g-hatcher/. Retrieved 8 December 2019. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)