Floyd J. McCree
Floyd J. McCree (1923–1988), was a Michigan politician. He was the first African American mayor of Flint, Michigan.[2]
Floyd J. McCree | |
|---|---|
| Register of Deeds | |
| In office 1971–1988[1] | |
| Succeeded by | Jeffrey Brohn |
| Constituency | Genesee County, Michigan |
| 82nd / 20th City Commission Mayor of the City of Flint, Michigan | |
| In office 1966–1968 | |
| Preceded by | Harry K. Cull |
| Succeeded by | Donald R. Cronin.[2] |
| City Commissioner of the City of Flint, Michigan | |
| In office 1958–1970[1] | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Floyd Joel McCree March 29, 1923 Webster Grove, MO |
| Died | June 15, 1988 (aged 65) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Leeberta Townsend (m. 1948-1988) (his death)[1] |
| Children | Melvin P., Byron, Anita and Marsha[1] |
| Alma mater | Lincoln University[1] |
Early life
Floyd Joel Mcree was born in Webster Grove, Missouri, on March 29, 1923, the son of Jordan Daniel McCree, Sr. and Minnie Blackwell.[3] He went to high school in St. Louis and attended Lincoln University, Jefferson City.[1]
McCree served in the South Pacific in World War II in the army, rising to the rank of staff sergeant. After leaving the service, he was hired in at the Buick foundry in Flint, becoming a foreman. McCree was later promoted to supervisor of maintenance.[1]
Political life
McCree was elected to the Flint City Commission in 1958. The Flint City Commission selected him as mayor for the years 1966–68. During his time as Mayor, he pushed for open housing and employment equal opportunity.
In 1967, he was involved in trying to end the violence in Detroit during the 1967 riots. That same year after the City Commission refused to adopt an open housing ordinance, he threatened to resign as mayor. Other prominent African-Americans joined in threatening to resign from public boards. The open housing law was later adopted in a charged contested referendum. McCree continued serving on the City Commission until 1970.[1] In 1970, he was a Michigan state representatives candidate for the 82nd district.[4]
In 1971, McCree took office as Genesee County Register of deeds.[1][5] He ran for Mayor under a new charter that directly elected a strong mayor in 1975 and 1979 losing both times to James W. Rutherford.[6]
| Election | McCree votes | Rutherford votes[6] |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 20,474 | 20,679 |
| 1979 | 12,902 | 20,738 |
McCree continued to be elected County Register, but he died on June 15, 1988, before the primary election.[1][3][7]
Legacy
On April 4, 2022, a bronze statue of McCree was unveiled in front of the Flint City Hall. The statue was made by artist Joe Rundell. The statue was financed by a fundraising campaign by the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.[8]
References
- Alfonso A. Narvaez (18 June 1988). "F.J. McCree, Early Black Mayor". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- "List of Flint City Mayors". Political Graveyards.com. Lawrence (Larry) Kestenbaum. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]". Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com Operations Inc. 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- "Index to Politicians: Mccornack to Mccullis -- McCree, Floyd J. Entry". Political Graveyards.com. Lawrence (Larry) Kestenbaum. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
- Fonger, Ron (3 April 2008). "Genesee County Register of Deeds Melvin McCree announces retirement, day after judge appoints guardian to oversee him". The Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
- Raymer, Marjory (9 August 2007). "Two white candidates make history". The Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
- Mickle, Bryn (17 April 2008). "Former Register of Deeds Jeffrey Brohn claims arrest intended to keep him from running for office again". The Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
- Fonger, Ron (4 April 2022). "Former Flint Mayor Floyd J. McCree -- champion of fair housing -- gets permanent home on City Hall's front lawn". Mlive. Retrieved 4 April 2022.