Walter Arthur Sims (September 19, 1880 – November 26, 1953) was an American politician.

Biography

Born in

Dawson County, Georgia Dawson County is a county in the Northeast region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,798 up from 22,330 in 2010.US 2020 Census Bureau report, Dawson County, Georgia The county seat is Dawsonville. Daw ...

, (near

Ball Ground Ball Ground is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The city was originally Cherokee territory before they were removed from the land and it was given to white settlers. A railroad was built in 1882 and a town was formed around t ...

), he was the son of John Newton Sims (18481919). The family moved to

Buckhead Buckhead is the wikt:uptown, uptown commercial and residential district of the city of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, comprising approximately the northernmost fifth of the city. Buckhead is the third largest business district within ...

in 1892, and Walter was educated in public schools. He graduated from the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

in 1899 and began a twenty-five-year law career in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. In 1903, he married Edna Belle Cheshire, daughter of Napoleon Cheshire (after whom

Cheshire Bridge Road Cheshire Bridge Road is a mainly north–south thoroughfare of Atlanta, Georgia, USA traversing the Morningside-Lenox Park and Lindridge-Martin Manor neighborhoods from Piedmont Avenue to Buford Highway just north of Interstate 85. While the c ...

is named). He served as councilman of Atlanta's

Ninth Ward The Ninth Ward or 9th Ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans, Louisiana, which is located in the easternmost downriver portion of the city. It is geographically the largest of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. On the south, the Ninth Ward is b ...

. He was twice elected mayor of Atlanta (both times defeating James L. Key) promising to clean up the police department after a gambling scandal which also included an anti-Catholic platform. During his tenure, the

Spring Street Viaduct Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...

was completed, the north half of which still stands after the southern half was rebuilt in 1996. He also built two new schools, not from bonds but from general revenue, and he also paid off a $1,000,000 deficit left over from the previous Key administration. In 1923, he proposed building an airport, sending alderman

William Hartsfield William Berry Hartsfield Sr. (March 1, 1890 – February 22, 1971), was an American politician who served as the 49th and 51st Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. His tenure extended from 1937 to 1941 and again from 1942 to 1962, making him the longest-s ...

to find a suitable location.

Candler Field Candler may refer to: People * Candler (surname) Places * Candler, Florida, an unincorporated town in Marion County * Candler, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Candler, North Carolina, an unincorporated town in Buncombe County * Candler Count ...

proved to be the best, and in 1925 the city leased it (the first five years were free) and the next year won a lucrative

U.S. Mail The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal servi ...

route. In 1924, he opened the city's Municipal Market (today's

Sweet Auburn Curb Market The Municipal Market is a historic market located in Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia's Sweet Auburn Historic District at 209 Edgewood Avenue, S.W. The market operates as a nonprofit enterprise, with the building leased from the City of Atlanta ...

). Sims died at his home in Atlanta on November 26, 1953. He is buried in Arlington Memorial Park, in

Sandy Springs, Georgia Sandy Springs is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and a suburb of Atlanta. The city's population was 108,080 at the 2020 census, making it Georgia's 7th most populous city. It is the site of several corporate headquar ...

References

1880 births 1953 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Georgia (U.S. state) Mayors of Atlanta University of Georgia alumni People from Dawson County, Georgia Critics of the Catholic Church {{GeorgiaUS-mayor-stub