Raphael Benjamin West Website Links For
Ben
 

Information About

Raphael Benjamin West




Raphael Benjamin West ( March 31 1911November 20 1974 ) was Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1951-1963.

Born in Columbia, Tennessee , he attended Cumberland Law School and Vanderbilt University . After losing the Nashville mayoral race in 1943, he won election as vice-mayor in 1946, later winning a State Senator race in 1949.

His strong ties with the African American community led Nashville to be the first southern city to Desegregate public facilities. After Nashville became a Consolidated City-county government, he lost re-election.


REFERENCES

  • Staff report (November 22, 1974). BEN WEST IS DEAD; NASHVILLE MAYOR; Served From 1951 to 1963--Enforced Integration Enforced Integration. '' New York Times ''



EXTERNAL LINKS

  • Ben West via ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''