Curtis Hixon (November 23, 1891 – May 21, 1956) was

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, from November 1943 until his death in 1956.Curtis Hixon
City Clerk information resources City of Tampa

Early life

Hixon was born and raised in Louisville, Alabama. Hixon studied pharmacology at the School of Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia (now a part of

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,00 ...

). In 1914, Hixon would move to

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...

, becoming a pharmacist there with his older brother Marvin. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

he joined the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

serving as a Pharmacist's mate. After World War I he came back to Tampa and bought a drugstore located on Franklin Street.

Political involvement

He was elected to the

Tampa City Council The Tampa City Council is the legislative body of the municipal government of the U.S. city of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida. The City Council consists of seven members, each representing one of seven corresponding districts from which ...

in 1929, serving until his resignation in 1937. In 1939, Hixon was elected to the Hillsborough County Commission serving until 1943 when he successfully ran to be the Mayor of Tampa. Curtis won the office of mayor in his first election by the highest margin in Tampa history and went on to serve 3 more terms before his death.

Mayor of Tampa

When Curtis assumed office, Tampa was facing issues because of World War II's

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and a host of others but did benefit from military contracts. Another significant issue during his first term was with Tampa's city government not being able to collect enough money. In response, Hixon would end tax adjustments, increase tax auditing and collecting overdue taxes. After the end of World War, Tampa would expand greatly. Drew Field after being deactivated would be transferred over to the city government in October 1947 later becoming

Tampa International Airport Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective December 30, 2021. The ...

. During 1947 the municipal government would purchase former industrial facilities located at Hooker's Point and expanded the point itself physically. In 1949, the city charter would be revised giving the mayor more power and responsibilities. Sulfur Springs and the area surrounding Rocky Point would be annexed in 1953.

Death

Hixon would be rushed to the hospital on May 11, 1956, after getting pneumonia. He would die of heart failure on May 21.

Legacy

Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park is named for him, as well as Curtis Hixon Hall before it was demolished in 1993.

References