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Joseph M. Barr
Barr in 1961
53rd Mayor of Pittsburgh
In office December 2, 1959 – January 5, 1970
Preceded by	Thomas Gallagher
Succeeded by	Pete Flaherty
25th President of the United States Conference of Mayors
In office 1967–1968
Preceded by	Jerome Cavanagh
Succeeded by	Terry Schrunk
Member of the Democratic National Committee from Pennsylvania
In office December 16, 1966  – May 25, 1972
Preceded by	David Lawrence
Succeeded by	Robert Jones
Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party
In office June 9, 1954 – July 23, 1959
Preceded by	Maurice Splain, Jr.
Succeeded by	John Rice
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 43rd district
In office January 7, 1941 – November 29, 1959
Preceded by	Thomas Kilgallen
Succeeded by	John Devlin
Personal details
Born	(1906-05-28)May 28, 1906 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	August 26, 1982(1982-08-26) (aged 76) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Profession	Salesman

Joseph M. Barr (May 28, 1906 – August 26, 1982) was an American politician who held a variety of positions, including an eleven-year tenure as mayor of Pittsburgh from 1959 to 1970.

Life

Barr was born in Pittsburgh to James P. and Blanche E. Moran Barr. He married Alice White, when she was 29 and he was 43. White had been active with women's Republican groups in Chicago but left the Republican party in support of her Democrat husband. Together they had two children, Alice ("Candy") and Joseph ("Skipp).

Pittsburgh politics

In 1959 Barr the consummate Harrisburg insider and Lawrence the seasoned Pittsburgh chief swapped roles, with Barr coming "home" and running for Mayor and Lawrence becoming Governor of Pennsylvania. He was instrumental as mayor in completing many of the Lawrence programs, while at the same time having the city's infrastructure catch up to all the progress that Lawrence instituted. Expanded and modernized street lights, water services and the stadiums were all hallmarks of Barr's leadership. He oversaw the completion of both Three Rivers Stadium and the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, both having bogged down in heated political disputes during Lawrence's tenure.

State Democratic politics

In 1940, Barr became the state's youngest state senator, serving the Pittsburgh-area in Harrisburg. Barr was elected chair of the State Democratic Party in 1954, and was elected Pennsylvania's male representative on the Democratic National Committee following Lawrence's death in 1966. He retired from public life in 1972.

Other work

In 1967 and 1968, Barr served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors.

Later life

Barr died on August 26, 1982. He is buried in Pittsburgh's St. Mary Cemetery.

References

1. Christopher, Frank (December 2, 1959). "Barr In, Paints Bright Future". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 1.
2. "Council Balks Appointments By Pete". The Pittsburgh Press. January 5, 1970. p. 2.
3. "Francis Smith Withdraws As Candidate". The Gettysburg Times. December 13, 1966. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
4. "Shapp Man Heads Party". The Beaver County Times. May 26, 1972. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
5. "Democrats Elect Sen. Barr State Chairman". The Reading Eagle. June 10, 1954. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
6. "Mention Rice For Barr Post". The Gettysburg Times. July 9, 1959. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
7. ^ "Joseph M Barr". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
8. ^ Rittmeyer, Brian C. "Mayor's wife supported husband, charities". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
9. Archives Service Center (March 2011). "Mayor Joseph M. Barr Photograph Collection". Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System. ULS Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh Library System. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
10. "Joseph Barr, 76, Dies; Was Pittsburgh Mayor". The New York Times. August 28, 1982. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
11. "ArchiveGrid : Mayor Joseph M. Barr photograph collection, 1956-1969". beta.worldcat.org. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
12. "Leadership". The United States Conference of Mayors. November 23, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2020.

v t e Mayors of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since the 1816 City Charter
Denny Darragh Snowden Murray M. Lowrie Murray Pettigrew McClintock Little Irwin Thomson Hay Howard Kerr Adams J. Herron Barker J. Guthrie Riddle Volz Bingham Weaver Wilson Sawyer J. Lowry McCarthy Blackmore Brush Blackmore McCarthy Liddell Lyon Fulton McCallin Gourley McKenna Ford Diehl A. Brown J. Brown Hays G. Guthrie Magee Armstrong Babcock Magee Kline J. S. Herron McNair Scully Lawrence Gallagher Barr Flaherty Caliguiri Masloff Murphy O'Connor Ravenstahl Peduto Gainey

• 1906 births
• 1982 deaths
• Pennsylvania Democratic Party chairs
• Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators
• Mayors of Pittsburgh
• Presidents of the United States Conference of Mayors
• 20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly