Mayoral quiz: On the eve of electing a new Cleveland mayor, test you knowledge on our past mayors

Cleveland Mayor Carl StokesBritannicaCleveland Mayor Carl Stokes

 
The winner of mayoral election in Cleveland tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 2, will join an eclectic crowd.

Cleveland’s mayors have included former or future members of Congress, governors, and cabinet members; a future U.S. Supreme Court justice; the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city; and the youngest mayor of a big U.S. city at the time.

There has also been a fur trader, steamship captain, lighthouse superintendent, distiller, doctor, alpaca farmer, amateur boxing champ, amateur ventriloquist, and more on Cleveland’s mayoral slate.

As Clevelanders chooses between Justin Bibb and Kevin Kelley tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 2, Here’s a quiz about some former Cleveland mayors. When you're done, check you answers here

1. Which mayor’s hair caught on fire?
A: Abner Brownell. B: Thomas Burke. C: Ralph Locher. D: Ralph Perk.

2. Which mayor was a skilled ventriloquist?
A: William Castle. B: Herman Chapin. C: Dennis Kucinich. D: Jane Campbell.

3. Which Cleveland mayor fought in the “Bridge War” against a then-independent Ohio City?
A: John Willey. B: Nicolas Dockstader. C: Flavel Bingham. D: Brenton Babcock.

4. Which mayor’s police force registered prostitutes until a public outcry stopped it?
A: Rensselaer Herrick. B: “Honest John” Farley. C: Robert Blee. D: Robert McKisson.

5. Which mayor started what later became Cleveland Public Power?
A: Irvine Masters. B: Tom Johnson. C: Frederick Kohler. D: Harold Burton.

6. Which mayor didn’t leave office and return later?
A: Joshua Mills. B: Samuel Starkweather. C: Harry Davis. D: George Voinovich.

7. Which mayor later presided over the first murder trial of accused killer Sam Sheppard and was found to have violated the defendant’s rights?
A: Raymond Miller. B: Edward Blythin. C: Frank Lausche. D: Anthony Celebrezze.

8. Who became the first Black mayor of a big U.S. city?
A: Josiah Harris. B: Carl Stokes. C: Michael White. D: Frank Jackson.

9. Who became the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city at the time of his election?
A: Edward Flint. B: Newton Baker. C: Dennis Kucinich. D: Michael White.

10. Who became Cleveland’s oldest mayor to date?
A: Lorenzo Kelsey. B: Herman Baehr. C: William Fitzgerald. D: Frank Jackson.

11. Which mayor became chief of staff to a U.S. senator from Louisiana?
A:
Nelson Hayward. B: George Hoadley. C: William Case. D: Jane Campbell.

12. When’s the last chance for a registered voter to cast a ballot this year in mayoral or other races? A: On Tuesday, Nov. 2, Election Day, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at your neighborhood polling place. You can check your registration, polling place or other details with your county elections board. The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections can be reached at 216-443-VOTE. This question has no B, C, or D.

Check your answers here.

Grant Segall
Grant Segall

About the Author: Grant Segall

Grant Segall is a national-prizewinning journalist who spent 44 years at daily papers, mostly The Plain Dealer. He has freelanced for The Washington Post, Oxford University Press, Time, The Daily Beast, and many other outlets.