Jay S. Amyx (September 27, 1923 – January 24, 2014) served two terms as

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 ...

Boise, Idaho Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...

, United States, from 1966 to 1974.

Career

After graduating high school, Amyx enlisted in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

and worked as an electrician before founding a construction company in Boise. In 1963, Amyx ran for mayor of Boise against the incumbent, Eugene Shellworth, but lost in the general election. In November 1965, Amyx became the first Boise mayor elected to a four-year term, defeating incumbent Eugene Shellworth in a runoff. Previous mayoral elections in Boise had been held in April and for two-year terms. Amyx was re-elected in 1969. During his first term in office, Amyx dealt with multiple controversies, including an obscenity scandal relating to the 1968 film ''

Candy Candy, alternatively called sweets or lollies, is a Confectionery, confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, also called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, including chocolate, chewing gum ...

'' and a protest of 200 women against sexist standards in the fashion industry. He chose not to run for re-election in 1974. Amyx ran for the Republican nomination 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 ...

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

, but finished last among a field of six in the

primary election Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pr ...

Personal life

Amyx was born in Decatur, Texas on September 27, 1923. He was an ordained minister in the Baptist tradition. He was married and had five children. He died on January 24, 2014.

Sources

Mayors of Boise - Past and PresentIdaho State Historical Society Reference Series, Corrected List of Mayors, 1867-1996

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amyx, Jay S. 1923 births 2014 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Idaho Idaho Republicans Mayors of Boise, Idaho People from Decatur, Texas