Richard Gordon Hatcher

Hatcher, Richard Gordon (1933– ), U.S. politician. When elected mayor of Gary, Ind., in 1967, Hatcher, a Democrat, became one of the first blacks to govern a major U.S. city. He rallied for civil rights issues and was popular among both black and white constituents. He won 4 reelections, serving 20 years until he was defeated in 1987.