HUSL Today Salutes

Shirley Franklin

Image source: http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/files/2009/12/who.jpg

Shirley Clarke Franklin was born on May 10, 1945. Franklin received her B.A. in sociology from Howard University and her M.A., also in sociology, from the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin served as the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs under Mayor Maynard Jackson. Subsequently, she was named Chief Administrative Officer and City Manager under Mayor Andrew Young.

"My dream as a child was to be a dancer. I wasn't the class president or the student government president or anything like that. The first time I ever ran for a major office was to be mayor."

The 58th mayor of Atlanta, she was the first female to hold the post and became the first black woman to be elected mayor of any major Southern city. Franklin was Atlanta's fourth black mayor. In 2005, TIME Magazine named Franklin of the five best big-city American mayors. In October of that same year, she was included in the U.S. News & World Report "Best Leaders of 2005" issue.

In July of 2009, Mayor Franklin (along with Frances Townsend and Judge William H. Webster) was appointed to an ad hoc Department of Homeland Security special task force for 60-day review of the Homeland Security Advisory System. Frances served as mayor of Atlanta, Georgia from 2002 to 2010. She is succeeded by Kasim Reed.

Mayor Franklin was the recipient of Profile in Courage Award in 2005, issued by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. The foundation praised her management of the city of Atlanta during the critical period of enormous deficit and loss of public confidence in government following the corrupt administration of Mayor Bill Campbell. She is an Honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

HUSL Today Salutes Shirley Franklin!!!