| Order | 59th |
|---|---|
| Office | Mayor of Detroit |
| Term start | January 4, 1938 |
| Term end | January 1, 1940 |
| Predecessor | Frank Couzens |
| Successor | Edward Jeffries |
| Office 1 | Detroit City Clerk |
| Term 1 | 1926 – 1938 |
| Office 2 | Detroit City Controller |
| Term 2 | 1924 – 1926 |
| Office 3 | Detroit City Assessor |
| Term 3 | 1921 – 1924 |
| Birth place | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Death date | February 7, 1882 December 9, 1952 |
| Death place | Brighton, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | University of Detroit |
| Spouse | Blanche White (m. 1901) |
Richard W. Reading (February 7, 1882 – December 9, 1952) was a Republican mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 1938 to 1940.
Biography
Richard William Reading was born in Detroit on February 7, 1882, the son of Richard W. and Louise M. Reading.[1] He was educated in the Detroit Public Schools and attended the University of Detroit.[1]
Reading married Blanche White in 1901.[1] The couple had four children.[2]
Reading was for a time a semi-pro wrestler.[2] He later worked variously as a printer, a newspaper executive, and a real estate dealer before entering public life in 1921.[2]
Reading was appointed City Assessor in 1921, moved to City Controller in 1924, and was elected City Clerk in 1926.[1] He stayed in the office of clerk until 1939, when he ran for mayor, ultimately defeating Patrick H. O'Brien by nearly two-to-one.[2] However, once in the office, Reading engaged in graft, selling protection to a numbers racketeers and promotions to police officers.[3] This corruption was exposed as the campaign for the next mayoral election was gearing up,[3] and Reading was crushed by Edward Jeffries.[3][4]
Shortly after leaving office, Reading was indicted on charges of accepting bribes and conspiring to protect Detroit's gambling rackets.[5] He was sentenced to four to five years in prison, of which he served three.[5]
Richard W. Reading died on December 9, 1952, in Brighton, Michigan.[6]
References
- ^ "Who's Who in Detroit, 1935-36", Walter Romig & Co, 1935, p. 264
- ^ "CIO Candidate is Defeated in Detroit Vote". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Nov 3, 1937.
- ^ Edward Jeffries & Dominic J. Capeci (1996), Detroit and the "Good War": the World War II letters of Mayor Edward Jeffries and friends, University Press of Kentucky, p. 6, ISBN 0-8131-1974-X
- ^ "JEFFIES LIKELY WINNER; Detroit Mayor Seeks Fifth Term". New York Times. Nov 2, 1947.
- ^ "Kilpatrick among other Detroit officials who have faced legal trouble". The Detroit News. March 24, 2008.
- ^ "EX-MAYOR READING OF DETROIT IS DEAD". THE NEW YORK TIMES. December 10, 1952.