Hilmar Guenther Moore (; July 28, 1920 – December 4, 2012) was an American rancher and long-time mayor of

Richmond, Texas Richmond is a suburb of Houston and the county seat of Fort Bend County, Texas, United States. The city is located within the metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city population was 11,627. History In 1822, a group of Austin's ...

, for over 60 years. He was the longest-serving mayor in Texas, and possibly the United States.

Biography

Hilmar Moore was a cattleman and a fifth-generation Texan, the great-great grandson of a signer of the

Texas Declaration of Independence The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and was form ...

, and grandson of U.S. congressman

John Matthew Moore John Matthew "Jaybird" Moore (November 18, 1862 – February 3, 1940) was an American rancher and statesman from Texas who served in the United States House of Representatives from District 8 from 1905 to 1913. He was engaged in Fort Bend Cou ...

. His maternal great grandfather was Carl Hilmar Guenther. Moore's father John Matthew Moore Jr. served also as Mayor of Richmond. Moore served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Moore was married twice; first to Hallie Kelley Peareson who predeceased him and second to Evalyn Wendt Moore, who succeeded him as mayor.

Mayor of Richmond

Moore was first appointed to fill an unexpired term as mayor of Richmond in September 1949 and won 32 elections, remaining in office until his death in 2012. He was opposed fewer than 10 times. He won against his last opponent in 1996 in a 337 to 42 vote. Moore is believed to be the longest-serving elected official in the United States. A 2008 BBC News report referred to him as "probably the longest-serving elected official in the U.S.", though even as late as 2012 Richmond only described him as the longest serving mayor in Texas, and the second in the US. In the segregated 1950s and 1960s, Moore persuaded restaurants in Richmond to integrate. He was president of the

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Inc., is an organization established in 1877 by forty Texas cattlemen for the purpose of combating unbridled livestock theft. The association headquarters is located in Fort Worth. History The T ...

from 1974 to 1976. In 1976, Moore registered as both a Republican and a Democrat. He was honored with a life-size statue at City Hall in October 2008. Moore's father, John Jr., served as a two-term Mayor of Richmond and a two-term judge in

Fort Bend County Fort Bend County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county was founded on December 29, 1837, and organized the next year. It is named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River. The community developed around the fort in ...

, Texas. Hilmar's grandfather, John Sr., was a U.S. congressman and member of Texas House of Representatives.

Chair of Texas Welfare Board

Moore was appointed to the Department of Human Resources by Texas Governor

Dolph Briscoe Dolph Briscoe Jr. (April 23, 1923 – June 27, 2010) was an American rancher and businessman from Uvalde, Texas, who was the 41st governor of Texas between 1973 and 1979. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Because of his re-election fo ...

. In 1980, a controversy erupted when Moore voiced his view that welfare parents should be sterilized.

Death

Moore died on December 4, 2012. A memorial service was held on December 10. Pete Olson and

Tom DeLay Thomas Dale DeLay (; born April 8, 1947) is an American author and retired politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, DeLay represented Texas's 22nd congress ...

were two of many political figures that attended his funeral. His widow, Evalyn W. Moore, was appointed to serve out the remainder of his term. She was reelected in 2014 and 2017, but was defeated by Rebecca Kennelly Haas in the 2020 mayoral election. Texas House Resolution No. 2103 was passed in his honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Hilmar 1920 births 2012 deaths Mayors of places in Texas People from Richmond, Texas Politicians from San Antonio