J. Kane Ditto
Encyclopedia
J. Kane Ditto is a former mayor
of Jackson, Mississippi
.
Ditto, a Democrat, served as Mayor of the City of Jackson from July 1989 until July 1997. Ditto was previously elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives
from District 66, where he served from 1987 to 1989. Before entering the political arena, Ditto practiced law for 18 years with Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis in Jackson. For five years he was managing partner of the firm. As a practicing attorney, his practice developed a heavy emphasis in municipal finance.
Ditto is a graduate of Duke University
and has a law degree from Vanderbilt University
. He and his son John manage the StateStreet Group http://www.statestreetgroup.com, a local real estate investment and development firm in Jackson.
Ditto is credited with the creation of many initiatives during his 8-year tenure including revitalization of Farish Street, revitalization of the train station, and active support of private business improvement districts. He has been a strong supporter of downtown Jackson and critical of businesses leaving the area for the suburbs.
After leaving office Ditto has remained active in the community through his a number of public and private initiatives. The activity that is perhaps most telling of Ditto's interests is his participation in the creation of a master plan for Clinton, Mississippi and Mississippi College. The city and the college had previously not coordinated their planning effort.
Ditto was succeeded as mayor in 1997 by Harvey Johnson, Jr.
, in what some considered a racially charged campaign by Johnson. His critics argue that his thinly veiled racial political analogy was the overarching political strategy of Johnson's campaign against Ditto.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
.
Ditto, a Democrat, served as Mayor of the City of Jackson from July 1989 until July 1997. Ditto was previously elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi....
from District 66, where he served from 1987 to 1989. Before entering the political arena, Ditto practiced law for 18 years with Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis in Jackson. For five years he was managing partner of the firm. As a practicing attorney, his practice developed a heavy emphasis in municipal finance.
Ditto is a graduate of Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and has a law degree from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. He and his son John manage the StateStreet Group http://www.statestreetgroup.com, a local real estate investment and development firm in Jackson.
Ditto is credited with the creation of many initiatives during his 8-year tenure including revitalization of Farish Street, revitalization of the train station, and active support of private business improvement districts. He has been a strong supporter of downtown Jackson and critical of businesses leaving the area for the suburbs.
After leaving office Ditto has remained active in the community through his a number of public and private initiatives. The activity that is perhaps most telling of Ditto's interests is his participation in the creation of a master plan for Clinton, Mississippi and Mississippi College. The city and the college had previously not coordinated their planning effort.
Ditto was succeeded as mayor in 1997 by Harvey Johnson, Jr.
Harvey Johnson, Jr.
Harvey Johnson, Jr. , is the current mayor and first African American mayor of Jackson, Mississippi.-Biography:Harvey Johnson, Jr. was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and attended the Vicksburg Public Schools, graduating from Rosa A. Temple High School...
, in what some considered a racially charged campaign by Johnson. His critics argue that his thinly veiled racial political analogy was the overarching political strategy of Johnson's campaign against Ditto.