George Byer
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
File:George Byer as Anchorage mayor, 1959.jpg
George Henry Byer (June 22, 1912 - August 22, 2000) was an American politician who served as Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska from 1959 to 1961. He was the first full-time mayor of Anchorage, and was chiefly responsible for Anchorage's first two All-America City Award designations.{{cite book |last1=Atwood |first1=Evangeline |last2=DeArmond |first2=Robert N. |title=Who's Who in Alaskan Politics |year=1977 |publisher=Binford & Mort for the Alaska Historical Commission |location=Portland, Oregon |page=13}}
He was a Democrat.
Biography
George Byer, born on June 22, 1912, moved to Alaska in 1947, after serving in the United States Army during World War II. From 1951, he worked as a mail carrier. In 1956, he campaigned successfully to have Anchorage named as "All-America City".
in 1959 Byer was elected mayor of the city, serving two terms.
From 1963 to 1966 he served on the Anchorage City Council, during which time he lobbied to renew Anchorage's "All-America City" status (1965), and launched an unsuccessful bid to bring the 1972 Winter Olympics to Anchorage.
In 1962, Byer unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for governor.
In September 1963, Byer won an election to serve as chairman of a Greater Anchorage Borough if such an office were to be created by concurrent referendum. However, Greater Anchorage voters rejected incorporating as a borough, and no such office was created. Byer unsuccessfully ran again to hold a prospective chairman office, in December 1963, but lost to John M. Asplund (who was elected to serve as the borough's inaugural chairman).{{cite web |title=Chairman Form, 2nd Class Win Voters' Okay |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1198305978 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=Jessen's Weekly |access-date=20 June 2025 |language=en |date=December 11, 1963}} In 1967, Byer ran once again for Mayor of Anchorage, but lost to George M. Sullivan.
In his later years, Byer lived in Hemet, California and was active in efforts to promote world peace.
Byer died, age 88, of heart disease in Hemet on August 22, 2000.{{Cite news|title=Former City Mayor George Byer Dies|newspaper=Anchorage Daily News|pages=B1|date=August 22, 2000|postscript=}}
References
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{{succession box |
before=Hewitt Lounsbury|
title=Mayor of Anchorage|
years=1959–1961|
after=George Sharrock
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Mayors of Anchorage}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byer, George}}
Category:20th-century mayors of places in Alaska
Category:Mayors of Anchorage, Alaska
Category:Alaska city council members
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