Recalling pleasant things and taking the time to dwell on them.
Meet Iowa City’s Mayors – 1853 To Today – Volume IV.
This is the fourth page in a series of six – covering the long history (1853 to today) of the mayors of Iowa City. You might want to return to the introductory page to read all of the preliminary information before proceeding here with Volume IV…
At the time of this writing (2025), Iowa City – over our 172-year-history as an incorporated city – has had 65 different mayors serving 73 separate terms. Our three main resources for these webpages are 1) Irving Weber’s articles from March 1985 (above left), which at that time, covered 56 different mayors, 2) the listing of city mayors found in the records of the Iowa City Library (above right top), and 3) a list of mayors (1853-1882) taken from The History of Johnson County -1882 (above right bottom).
So here, for your reading enjoyment, are some updated facts and figures on each of our 65 illustrious city leaders – continuing on this page four…
Iowa City Mayor #37 – John J. “Jack” Carroll (1869-1945) operated Smith and Carroll Meat Market, and made his home at 903 Kirkwood Ave. Below: The April 2, 1925 Press-Citizen announces Mayor Carroll’s “New City Administration” that takes over from Mayor Emma Harvat…Mayor Carroll was big on city proclamations. Below (left) is one from April 23, 1932 – promoting Clean Up & Paint Up Week, (right) one from July 2, 1932 – observing July 4th, and (center) Mayor Carroll with the famous Iowa City Fire Department horses: Snow Ball & High Ballupon their retirement in 1925. Read more here.Mayor J.J. Carroll lived to be 75, passing away on January 12, 1945, and is buried in the Old St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.
Iowa City Mayor #38– Harry D. Breene (1863-1941), a bachelor, made his home at 115 E. Fairchild St. A long-time Rock Island Railroad agent, Harry Breene retired in February 1933, and by March 28, 1933 – at age 70 – had been elected mayor of Iowa City – serving for two one-year terms, 1933-1935.Iowa City Mayor #39 – Thomas E. Martin (1893-1971) was mayor during the worst of the Great Depression.Born in Melrose, Iowa, Martin attended public schools and graduated from the State University of Iowa (1916) and the SUI College of Law (1927). He was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1927 and commenced practice in Iowa City. He served as city solicitor from 1933 to 1935 and mayor from 1935 to 1937, serving two one-year terms.So, what was the M.O.L. Party? In Iowa City’s most bitterly-contested election in years, local candidates either pledged their support of M.O.L. – Municipal Ownership of an Electric Light Plant – or they were strongly against it. In the 1935 city election, it turned out that seven out of the eight major candidates who won seats to the city council were supporters of M.O.L. You can read more about this MOL issue here.After turning down a strong effort in 1937 to re-elect him, Martin was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the First District, where he served eight terms (16 years) from 1939 to 1955, and then one term as U.S. Senator from 1955 to 1961. After leaving the Senate, he moved to Seattle, Washington, and lived in retirement until his death in 1971.
Iowa City Mayor #40– A Naval career officer and 1915 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (see below left), Myron J. Walker (1892-1953) was elected mayor of Iowa City in 1937, running on The Citizen’s Ticket. Walker held the office for two one-year terms (1937-1939).
Myron Walker passed away in 1953 and is buried in Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City.Iowa City Mayor #41 – Henry F. Willenbrock (1876-1958) was mayor from 1939-1943, serving four one-year terms.Below:March 28, 1939 – The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports the Democratic candidate – Henry F. Willenbrock – wins the March 1939 city election for mayor, defeating Mayor Myron Walker by a small margin of only 19 votes!Below: center – As mayor, Henry Willenbrock was actively involved during the 1939 Iowa City Centennial Celebration. Below: left & right – Willenbrock was well-known around Iowa City not just as mayor, but also as the local Oldsmobile dealer.Henry F. Willenbrock passed away in 1958 and is buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Marengo (Iowa County) Iowa.Iowa City Mayor #42 – Formerly Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Wilbur J. Teeters (1866-1959) was the first person with a SUI connection to be named mayor. When elected to his first two-year term in 1943 (see below), he was Iowa City’s oldest mayor (age of 77), and at the end of his second two-year term (1945-1947), Teeters was a vigorous 81.Dr. Teeters began his 64-year career at the State University of Iowa in September 1895 as a demonstrator of chemistry in the Department of Medicine. In 1901, he was promoted to associate professor of pharmacy and was made full professor in 1903. He served as the first head of the Chemistry Department and the second dean of the College of Pharmacy, the latter from 1904 until 1937. In 1937, he resigned as dean and continued to teach part time for the next 22 years. During his career in pharmacy, Dr. Teeters served as the Iowa state toxicologist for decades and served as a member on the Board in Control of Athletics from 1905 to 1913. Above: In March 1945, Teeter successfully ran for re-election.
Teeters Court, located between Manville Heights and Black Springs, was originally called Main Street. Teeters’ neighbors, somewhat embarrassed by the incongruous name for their one-and-a-half block-long Main Street, banded together to have the street named after their late neighbor – who passed away – at age 93 – in December 1959.Iowa City Mayor #43 – Preston Koser (1883-1955) served as Johnson County Sheriff from 1941 to 1946, and was elected Iowa City mayor in March 1947, serving four one-year terms (1947-1951). Koser was the last Iowa City mayor to be elected directly by the citizens of the community. In order to move the selection process away from politics, in 1951, the City of Iowa City went to a Council/Manager system of government where the people vote for non-partisan council members, and then the council chooses a mayor from amongst themselves to serve a one-year term. You can read more about this 1951 transition in city government here.Mayor Koser passed away – at age 72 – in December 1955 and is buried in Ridgewood Cemetery in North Liberty.Iowa City Mayor #44 – William J. “Bill” Holland (1903-1982) became the first Iowa City mayor to be elected under the new council-manager system, where the mayor is no longer chosen by the citizens, but appointed by the City Council. You can read more about this 1951 transition in city government here.As you can see from the 1951 City Election (below), voters chose from a slate of Council members, of which Holland was one, and then, once elected to the council (for two years), Holland was elected mayor – by the council – for the remainder of 1951. Eventually, Holland was appointed for three one-year terms as mayor from April 2, 1951 to January 1, 1954.Bill Hollandlived at 325 Melrose Court, was associated with his father in the J.W. Holland Insurance Agency, and is also remembered as a clerk for many county sale auctions. Holland’s son-in-law – C.L. “Tim” Brandt – became Iowa City mayor in 1972-1973. Holland died in 1982 and is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.Iowa City Mayor #45, #51– LeRoy S. Mercer (1889-1965) served as Iowa City mayor from January 4, 1954 to January 1958, and in 1962, because of his experience, was appointed to serve the unexpired term (eight months) of Dorr Hudson.More on that story in Volume V.Mercer, an executive at Economy Advertising Co., also served in the Iowa General Assembly as a state representative for six years and then as state senator for twelve years from Johnson County.Below: Mayor Mercer declares Friday, January 22, 1954 as United Air Lines Day – celebrating United’s expanded passenger air service into Iowa City. You can read more about the Iowa City Airport here.
Iowa City Mayor #46– Italian-born Louis Loria (1908-1979) was a department superintendent with the SUI Printing Service for 27 years, and was elected to a four-year term with the Iowa City City Council in 1956. Loria was appointed mayor for one of those four years – 1958-1959.Louis Loria played a major role in the development of Regina High School in Iowa City, and as you can see from the clipping (below left) was actively involved in high school sports, serving as a referee at both football and basketball games. Loria passed away in 1979 and is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.Iowa City Mayor #47 – Philip F. Morgan (1911-1961) was a SUI Professor of Civil Engineering. He came to Iowa City in September, 1948, as an associate professor of sanitary engineering and became a full professor in 1952. Elected to the City Council in 1955, Morgan served as mayor in his final year (1959-1960).Philip F. Morgan passed away on January 19, 1961, just as President John F. Kennedy was being sworn as our 35th President.Iowa City Mayor #48– J.R. (Ray) Thornberry (1912-1983) began serving a four-year term on the Iowa City City Council in 1958, and was selected mayor by the council during his third year (1960-1961).“It’s a shady business” was the tagline for Ray Thornberry’s Hawkeye Tent & Awning Business, which he started in Iowa City in 1940, retiring in 1972. Thornberry, age 70, died in April 1983 and is buried in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City.
March 28, 1939 – The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports the Democratic candidate – Henry F. Willenbrock – wins the March 1939 city election for mayor, defeating Mayor Myron Walker by a small margin of only 19 votes!
April 3, 1951 – The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that William J. “Bill” Holland becomes the first Iowa City mayor to be elected under the new council-manager system, where the mayor is no longer chosen by the citizens, but appointed by the City Council.
January 22, 1954 – Iowa City’s mayor – Leroy S. Mercer – declares Friday, January 22 as United Air Lines Day – celebrating United’s expanded passenger air service into Iowa City.
Kudos to the amazing resources below for the many quotes, photographs, etc. used on this page.
