Former Nashville Mayor and Congressman Richard Fulton Dies at 91

Richard Fulton, who served first as Nashville's congressman and then as mayor for a combined 26 years has died at the age of 91. His death represents the passing of another political giant from the city's past. 

A Navy veteran who served during World War II, Fulton was a progressive who supported civil rights for African-Americans when many of his generation didn't. He was the second mayor of the consolidated Metro Nashville government. 

"Richard Fulton helped make modern-day Nashville what it is with his leadership as mayor, and he helped America live up to its promises by creating new freedoms with his votes for civil rights, voting rights, health care and fair housing in Congress," Mayor David Briley said in a written statement Wednesday night. "He was the right man at the right time to lead our city forward. I’ll never forget interning in Mayor Fulton’s office when I was a college student. Watching him work taught me a lot about Nashville, about building a better city and about leadership, and I still carry those lessons with me every day."

Fulton's political career began with a false start. In 1954, at the age of 29, he was elected to the state Senate to take the place of his brother Lyle, who had died from cancer. He was unseated, though, after a legal challenge based on the fact that he was too young to serve. Two years later, Fulton ran again and won. 

In 1962, he was involved in Nashville's infamous Democratic congressional primary, which was overturned after a corruption scandal. Fulton initially lost, but won the subsequent re-do and headed to Washington, D.C., where he would represent Nashville for seven terms. He voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act and Medicare. 

Later, after receiving a blessing from the Watauga — a secret organization of Nashville businessmen who wielded significant influence over city politics — Fulton was elected mayor of Nashville. He served three terms, from 1975 to 1987, ushering in the construction of Riverfront Park and the original Nashville Convention Center. As mayor, Fulton is said to have woken up early and have a young aide named Greg Hinote — the future chief of staff to Congressman Jim Cooper and deputy mayor to Karl Dean — drive him around town. As they drove, Fulton would dictate things that needed fixing — a pothole, a stop sign that needed to be replaced — into a tape recorder. Once back at the office, Fulton would leave the recorder on the desk of his secretary, who would send his findings out to various department heads. 

Fulton later ran twice for governor, unsuccessfully, and made a failed bid to return to the mayor's office in 1999.  

This story will update.