List of mayors of Rogersville, Tennessee
The town of Rogersville, Tennessee is governed by a Board of Mayor and Aldermen, authorized under a charter first enacted by the General Assembly of Tennessee in 1836.
North Carolina Charter from 1786-1836
When Rogersville was first founded, it was as the county seat of Hawkins County, and thus it was called simply Hawkins Court House. The North Carolina General Assembly appointed a Board of Commissioners and Trustees to oversee the town. The legislature appointed the first members of the Board, and upon the death, resignation, or removal from the county or State, the Board would nominate its own successors.[1]
The first members of the Board were:[1]
- Thomas King
- Thomas Hutchins
- Joseph McCulloch
- Thomas Jackson
- Elijah Chissom
Tennessee Incorporation from 1836-Present
Forty-eight years after the town was chartered by the State of North Carolina, the State of Tennessee reincorporated the town in 1835. Following the incorporation, Rogersville was granted an elected Board of Mayor and Aldermen. From 1835-1883, the officers served two-year terms. When the town was reincorporated by the General Assembly in 1883 to add new property to the corporate limits, the terms of office were changed to four years.
Today, Mayors of Rogersville serve a four-year term and are eligible to re-election without term limits.
Rogersville's current Mayor, Jim Sells has been re-elected every four years since 1977.
List of Mayors
Following is a list of the Mayors of Rogersville:[1]
| Mayor | Term |
|---|---|
| Nicholas Fain | 1836–1838 |
| Dicks Alexander | 1838–1840 |
| Stockley D. Mitchell | 1840–1846 |
| Robert C. Crawford | 1846–1850 |
| William White | 1852–1854, 1870–1874 |
| Henry G. Wax | 1854–1856 |
| James Pace | 1856–1860 |
| James K. Neill | 1860–1866 |
| Lewis L. Poates, V | 1866–1870 |
| Hugh G. Kyle | 1874–1876 |
| A.D. Huffmaster | 1876–1880 |
| John Hasson | 1880–1884 |
| Henry J. Nelson | 1884–1890, 1896–1898 |
| Samuel L. Chesnutt | 1890–1894, 1898–1902 |
| Charles M. Harris | 1902–1904 |
| William Pierce | 1904–1906, 1910–1912 |
| S.F. Powel | 1906–1908 |
| E.T. Bettis | 1908–1909 |
| Rod Armstrong | 1909–1910 |
| Gale P. Kyle | 1912–1918, 1922–1924 |
| Fred J. Testerman | 1918–1922 |
| J.A. Holston | 1924–1926 |
| Roy A. Doty | 1926–1932 |
| W.B. Hale, Jr. | 1932–1934 |
| James S. Lyons | 1934–1948 |
| Lon Bible | 1948–1952 |
| J.O. Phillips, Jr. | 1952–1954 |
| C.C. Johnson | 1954–1956, 1958–1960 |
| Judson J. Harmon | 1956–1958 |
| William F. Phipps | 1960–1966 |
| W. Henry Lyons | 1966–1967 |
| Reid Terry | 1967–1973 |
| Charles Dennis | 1973–1975 |
| Clyde Willis | 1975–1977 |
| Jim Sells | 1977–Present |
References
- Grubb, Bill (November 10, 2004). "Sells wins re-election". The Rogersville Review 120 (42). p. A1.
- Zachary, Jim (November 12, 2004). "Long-standing mayor continues to hold public's trust". The Rogersville Review 120 (43). p. A4.
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