{{short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Hilmar Moore | image = Hilmar Moore 2012.jpg | image_size = 210px | office = Mayor of Richmond, Texas | term_start = September 22, 1949 | term_end = December 4, 2012 | caption = Moore in September 2012 | predecessor = Wilbert Lee Ansel<ref>{{cite news|last=Griffin|first=Marquita|title=Hilmar Moore remembered by friends|date=December 6, 2012|publisher=Fort Bend Herald and Texas Coaster|access-date=December 1, 2023|url=https://www.fbherald.com/news/hilmar-moore-remembered-by-friends/article_343ec0bc-4028-11e2-8354-001a4bcf887a.html|archive-date=February 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190211231200/https://www.fbherald.com/news/hilmar-moore-remembered-by-friends/article_343ec0bc-4028-11e2-8354-001a4bcf887a.html}}</ref> | successor = Evalyn W. Moore | state = Texas | birth_name = Hilmar Guenther Moore | birth_date = {{birth date|1920|7|28}} | birth_place = San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2012|12|4|1920|7|28}} | death_place = Richmond, Texas, U.S. | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Hallie Kelley Peareson|<!--unknown-->|1982|end=died}} * {{marriage|Evalyn Wendt|1984}} }} | father = John M. Moore Jr. | mother = Dorothea Guenther Moore | alma_mater = University of Texas School of Law | known_for = Longest-serving mayor in Texas | party = Independent | allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | branch = United States Army Air Corps | service_years = 1942–1945 | rank = | unit = 4th Emergency Rescue Squadron | battles = {{Tree list}} *World War II **Battle of Saipan **Battle of Iwo Jima {{tree list/end}} }}
'''Hilmar Guenther Moore''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɪ|l|m|ər|_|ˈ|ɡ|ʊ|n|θ|ər}}; July 28, 1920 – December 4, 2012) was an American rancher and long-time mayor of Richmond, Texas, for over 60 years. He was the longest-serving mayor in both Texas and 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,<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/us/richmond-tex-mourns-mayor-hilmar-g-moore.html|last=Fernandez|first=Manny|title=Town Mourns a Mayor Who Had Staying Power|date=December 10, 2012|publisher=The New York Times}}</ref> and grandson of U.S. congressman John Matthew Moore. His maternal great grandfather was Carl Hilmar Guenther.<ref name=FBH>{{cite news|url=https://www.fbherald.com/obituaries/hilmar-guenther-moore/article_8ae12242-4029-11e2-bd87-001a4bcf887a.html|title=Hilmar Guenther Moore|publisher=Fort Bend Herald and Texas Coaster|date=December 6, 2012}}</ref> Moore's father John Matthew Moore Jr. also served as Mayor of Richmond. Moore served in World War II.<ref name="Obituary" /> Moore was married twice; first to Hallie Kelley Peareson who predeceased him and second to Evalyn Wendt Moore, who succeeded him as mayor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mayor Evalyn W. Moore|url=https://www.richmondtx.gov/government/mayor|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016180926/https://www.richmondtx.gov/government/mayor|archive-date=October 16, 2020|access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Herman">{{cite news|last=Herman|first=Ken|title=The end of a small-town Texas political dynasty|date=November 27, 2020|newspaper=Austin American-Statesman|access-date=December 1, 2023|url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/elections/state/2020/11/27/herman-end-of-small-town-texas-political-dynasty/115055068/|archive-date=December 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201216172952/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/elections/state/2020/11/27/herman-end-of-small-town-texas-political-dynasty/115055068/}}</ref>
== Mayor of Richmond == Moore was first appointed to fill an unexpired term as mayor of Richmond in September 1949 and won 32 elections,<ref name=NYT/> 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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fama|first=Jillian|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/12/texas-mayor-dies-after-serving-63-years|title=Texas Mayor Dies After Serving 63 Years|date=December 5, 2012|publisher=ABC News}}</ref> A 2008 BBC News report referred to him as "probably the longest-serving elected official in the U.S.",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7753033.stm|title=Texas mulls defeat in battle of ideas|author=Kevin Connolly|work=BBC News | date=November 27, 2008 | accessdate=January 5, 2010}}</ref> though even as late as 2012 Richmond only described him as the longest serving mayor in Texas, and the second in the US.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120302071852/http://www.ci.richmond.tx.us/mayor.html Richmond page about Moore from 2012] </ref>
In the segregated 1950s and 1960s, Moore persuaded restaurants in Richmond to integrate.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Richmond-mayor-s-60-years-on-job-may-be-record-1769757.php|title=Richmond mayor's 60 years on job may be record|last=Stewart|first=Richard|date=December 29, 2008|publisher=Chron}}</ref> He was president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association from 1974 to 1976.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tscra.org/iconic-rancher-tscra-past-president-dies-at-92|title=Iconic rancher, TSCRA president dies at 92|date=December 5, 2012|website=Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association}}</ref> In 1976, Moore registered as both a Republican and a Democrat.<ref name=NYT/>
He was honored with a life-size statue at City Hall in October 2008.<ref>Stewart, Richard. [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/6184886.html "Meet America's (likely) longest-serving mayor"], ''The Houston Chronicle'', December 29, 2008. Accessed December 29, 2008.</ref>
Moore's father, John Jr., served as a two-term Mayor of Richmond and a two-term judge in Fort Bend County, Texas.<ref name="herald">{{cite news|url=http://www.herald-coaster.com/articles/2005/05/06/news/news01.txt|title=Moore's headstone to get historic marker|last=Adams|first=Denise|publisher=Fort Bend Herald |date=May 6, 2005 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130125040617/http://www.herald-coaster.com/articles/2005/05/06/news/news01.txt|archivedate=January 25, 2013}}</ref> Hilmar's grandfather, John Sr., was a U.S. congressman and member of Texas House of Representatives.<ref name="herald" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12229545|title=60-year mayor running for re-election|publisher=KLTV|date=March 30, 2010|access-date=March 31, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213011119/http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12229545|archive-date=December 13, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Chair of Texas Welfare Board == Moore was appointed to the Department of Human Resources by Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/757246027/|url-access=subscription|title=Moore's appointment reaffirmed by panel|newspaper=Corpus Christi Caller-Times|location=Corpus Christi, Texas|access-date=November 1, 2023|date=May 29, 1975|page=30|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1980, a controversy erupted when Moore voiced his view that welfare parents should be sterilized.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mayor Calls for Sterilization of Welfare Parents|date=March 17, 1980|page=8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AIwfAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA8|newspaper=Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal|access-date=November 1, 2023}}</ref>
== Death == Moore died on December 4, 2012. A memorial service was held on December 10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fortbendstar.com/2012/12/07/hilmar-guenther-moore/|title=Hilmar Guenther Moore|work=Fort Bend Southwest Star Newspaper|accessdate=December 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026003849/http://www.fortbendstar.com/2012/12/07/hilmar-guenther-moore/|archivedate=October 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2008/08/18/fort_bend_sun/news/sws_-_hilmar_moore_87.txt Richmond Mayor celebrated for legacy], ''Richmond Sun'', August 7, 2008, Retrieved December 29, 2008{{Dead link|date=October 2019}}</ref><ref name="Obituary">{{Cite news|title = Richmond Mayor Hilmar Moore passes away; believed to be longest serving mayor in U.S.|publisher = ABC News|date = December 5, 2012|url = https://abc13.com/archive/8909318/ |url-status=live |access-date = December 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005000434/http://abc13.com/archive/8909318/|archive-date=October 5, 2017}}</ref> Pete Olson and Tom DeLay were two of many political figures who attended his funeral.<ref name=NYT/>
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.<ref name="Herman"/>
Texas House Resolution No. 2103 was passed in his honor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/82R/billtext/html/HR02103I.htm|title=H. R. No. 2103|website=Texas Legislature Online}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Portal bar|Texas|Biography|Politics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Hilmar}} Category:1920 births Category:2012 deaths Category:20th-century mayors of places in Texas Category:People from Richmond, Texas Category:Politicians from San Antonio Category:21st-century mayors of places in Texas