George Vaara (May 26, 1899 – July 26, 1976) was

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 ...

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...

from 1940 to 1941.

Biography

George Vaara was born May 26, 1899, in

Ada, Minnesota Ada ( ) is a city in Norman County, Minnesota, Norman County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,740 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat. Minnesota State Highways Minnesota State Highway 9, 9 and M ...

. He moved to Anchorage in 1923 and worked as a clerk in a

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grocery store. In the 1930s, he opened a notions store called ''Vaara Varieties''. He was elected president of the Anchorage School Board in 1939. Vaara was elected mayor in 1940 in the midst of a housing shortage brought on by the arrival of military personnel preceding the construction of Fort Richardson. He served a single term. Vaara built a

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plant on Fifth Avenue in 1943, selling it fifteen years later. In 1958, Vaara made a bid for nomination as the Republican candidate for

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

of the new state of Alaska. He withdrew several days later, citing a "heated controversy" between factions of the party. Vaara moved to

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

in 1960. He died at his home in Seattle on July 26, 1976, following a year of incapacitation due to a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

References

* 1899 births 1976 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Alaska People from Ada, Minnesota Mayors of Anchorage, Alaska Alaska Republicans American people of Finnish descent {{Alaska-mayor-stub