Gerald D. Jernigan
Encyclopedia
Gerald D. Jernigan was mayor of the city of Ann Arbor
, Michigan
, from 1987 to 1991.
, Jernigan served a four-year stint in the United States Air Force
, then earned a B.S. in finance from Michigan State University
and an MBA from Western Michigan University
. He moved to Ann Arbor
in the early 1970s to work as an investment officer at the University of Michigan
, where he remained employed until his retirement in 2001.
Jernigan was elected to the Ann Arbor city council from the city's fourth ward in 1982. In 1987, Jernigan ran for Ann Arbor mayor as a moderate Republican
. He defeated the perennial conservative mayoral candidate Paul S. Jensen in the Republican
primary, and unseated the one-term Democratic
incumbent mayor, Edward C. Pierce
, in the April election.
Jernigan won reelection as mayor in 1989, beating back a challenge from Democratic
candidate Raymond F. Clevenger
, who had served as a U.S. Representative from Michigan's 11th district from 1965-67. During his second term, Jernigan successfully spearheaded a voter referendum to raise city penalties for marijuana possession to $25 for a first offense, after calling Ann Arbor's famously lenient "five-dollar pot law" an "embarrassment" to the city.
In 1991, Jernigan ran for a third term as mayor, but was defeated by Democratic
city councilwoman Elizabeth Brater
, who became Ann Arbor's first female mayor.
In November 2002, Jernigan was elected to a six-year term on the Board of Trustees for Washtenaw Community College
. His wife, Carey Jernigan, is the Chief Operating Officer at ReGroup Inc. as of 2005.
On July 18, 2006, Jernigan died at his home in Ann Arbor, after playing a round of golf.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, from 1987 to 1991.
Biography
Born in Flint, MichiganFlint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, Jernigan served a four-year stint in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, then earned a B.S. in finance from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and an MBA from Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
. He moved to Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
in the early 1970s to work as an investment officer at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where he remained employed until his retirement in 2001.
Jernigan was elected to the Ann Arbor city council from the city's fourth ward in 1982. In 1987, Jernigan ran for Ann Arbor mayor as a moderate Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He defeated the perennial conservative mayoral candidate Paul S. Jensen in the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
primary, and unseated the one-term Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
incumbent mayor, Edward C. Pierce
Edward C. Pierce
Edward Charles Pierce was a politician and physician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Pierce was born in the town of Three Rivers, in St. Joseph County, Michigan. He moved with his family to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1940 at the age of ten and, after serving in the U.S. Air Force, studied...
, in the April election.
Jernigan won reelection as mayor in 1989, beating back a challenge from Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate Raymond F. Clevenger
Raymond F. Clevenger
Raymond Francis Clevenger was a U.S. Representative from the U.S. state of Michigan.Clevenger was born in Chicago and attended schools in Oak Park, Illinois, graduating from high school in 1944. He served in the United States Army Medical Corps from July 1944 to July 1946...
, who had served as a U.S. Representative from Michigan's 11th district from 1965-67. During his second term, Jernigan successfully spearheaded a voter referendum to raise city penalties for marijuana possession to $25 for a first offense, after calling Ann Arbor's famously lenient "five-dollar pot law" an "embarrassment" to the city.
In 1991, Jernigan ran for a third term as mayor, but was defeated by Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
city councilwoman Elizabeth Brater
Elizabeth Brater
Elizabeth Brater is a Democratic former member of the Michigan Senate, who represented the 18th District from 2003 to 2010, and served as the Assistant Minority Leader. Her district included the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti...
, who became Ann Arbor's first female mayor.
In November 2002, Jernigan was elected to a six-year term on the Board of Trustees for Washtenaw Community College
Washtenaw Community College
Washtenaw Community College is a community college located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1965, WCC welcomes more than 13,000 people from over 100 different countries for study each year and grants certificates and degrees to over 1,400 students annually...
. His wife, Carey Jernigan, is the Chief Operating Officer at ReGroup Inc. as of 2005.
On July 18, 2006, Jernigan died at his home in Ann Arbor, after playing a round of golf.
External links
- Geoff Larcom, "Former Mayor Jernigan dies", Ann Arbor News, 19 July 2006
- Mayors of Ann Arbor page at PoliticalGraveyard.com