James d'Orma "Dorm" Braman (December 23, 1901 – August 21, 1980) was an American politician who served as the 45th

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

from 1964 to 1969. To date, Braman was the last Republican to serve as Mayor of Seattle. Previously, mayors were elected for a term of four years, but because of a change in the date of election to odd-numbered years during his mayoral tenure, Braman served five and a half years.

Early life and education

He was born in Lorimor, Iowa, on December 23, 1901. As a child, Braman lived in

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

before his family relocated to

Pend Oreille County, Washington Pend Oreille County ( ) is a county located in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Washington, along the Canada–US border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,401. The county seat and largest city is Newport. The county w ...

around 1908. He attended Union High School from 1916 to 1918, dropping out to work in the family lumber business.

Career

Braman worked in the lumber industry and also designed homes. In 1943, Braman served as a lieutenant in the

United States Navy Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...

. Braman was based in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

and managed lumber procurement. In 1945, he was promoted to commander and transferred to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

He returned to the

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region in 1946. He was elected to the

Seattle City Council The Seattle City Council is the legislative body of the city of Seattle, Washington. The Council consists of nine members serving four-year terms, seven of which are elected by electoral districts and two of which are elected in citywide at-larg ...

, serving from 1954 until he became mayor in 1964. He was appointed by President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

as Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Urban Systems and Environment in February 1969, resigning as mayor on March 23, 1969, to accept the position. Braman resigned in 1970 and returned to

after 18 months in the position.

Death

Braman died in

on August 21, 1980, at the age of 79.

References

20th-century mayors of places in Washington (state) Mayors of Seattle Seattle City Council members American Christian Scientists 1901 births 1980 deaths Washington (state) Republicans {{Washington-mayor-stub