Richard Fulton

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox officeholder Richard Harmon Fulton (January 27, 1927 – November 28, 2018) was an American Democratic politician who served as a member of the Tennessee State Senate and of the United States House of Representatives, and the second mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Personal life

Fulton was born in Nashville, Tennessee.<ref name=Obit/> He graduated from East Nashville High School and served in the United States Navy in World War II.<ref name=NPO>Template:Cite web</ref> After returning from his military service, he entered the University of Tennessee where he played for the Volunteers on the football team.<ref name=Football>Template:Cite news</ref> He died on November 28, 2018, at a hospice in Nashville at the age of 91.<ref name=Obit>Template:Cite news</ref>

Political career

State Senate

In 1954, Fulton was elected to the Tennessee State Senate in place of his brother Lyle, who suddenly died from cancer shortly after receiving the Democratic nomination for that post.<ref name=NPO/> Fulton was sworn in on January 3, 1955, but because he was only 27, below the minimum age for Senators under the Tennessee State Constitution, the Senate voted unanimously (28–0) to unseat him.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Fulton could not serve in the Senate until he was elected in 1956 at the age of 31.<ref name=Obit/> He was reelected to the Senate in 1958, then left politics to begin a career in real estate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Congress

In 1962, he entered the Democratic primary for the Nashville-based 5th Congressional District against incumbent Congressman Joseph Carlton Loser.<ref name=Obit/> The election commission initially declared Loser the winner; however, a friend of Fulton successfully filed suit to throw out the primary results after The Tennessean reported corruption at the commission.<ref name=Obit/> In the rerun of the primary, Fulton defeated Loser and was victorious in November.<ref name=Obit/> Fulton voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He resigned from the House after his election as mayor.<ref name=Nominee>Template:Cite news</ref>

Mayor of Nashville

Fulton served three terms as mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1975 until 1987.<ref name=Obit/> He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor in 1978 and 1986.<ref name=AP>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1999, he embarked on a comeback mayoral bid where he made it to the runoff election, but then withdrew and endorsed his opponent Bill Purcell.<ref name=Obit/>

During his tenure as mayor, Fulton was an influential voice in the development of key downtown streets, Riverfront Park, the Nashville Convention Center, the construction of Interstate 440, the expanded use of the Metro Development and Housing Agency and established Template:Convert of parks in the city.<ref name=Obit/>

From 1983 until 1984, Fulton served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>