Phil Hardberger
Encyclopedia
Phil Hardberger is a former mayor
of San Antonio
, Texas
. He took office in June 2005. He is a Democrat; however, as with all mayoral, city council
, and school board positions in Texas, Hardberger was elected on a non-partisan ballot
.
Hardberger was born in Morton
, the seat of Cochran County in West Texas
, to Homer Reeves Hardberger (1908–1986) and the former Bess Scott (1913–2008). In 1943, the family moved to O'Donnell
in Lynn County near Lubbock
. As a youth, Hardberger worked in cotton gin
s. Mrs. Hardberger, a native of Burnet County
, taught school in O'Donnell for thirty-three years and was a 1955 graduate of Texas Tech University
in Lubbock. Son Phil graduated the same year from Baylor University
in Waco
. Hardberger was reared in the Baptist
Church. He has a younger sister, Jan Peranteau, who was born in 1945 in Lamesa
, the seat of Dawson County, also in the Texas South Plains
country. Hardberger said that his mother was "the single most cheerful person I've ever known. She loved the tree
s and flower
s here in San Antonio and always had a positive spirit."
After Baylor, Hardberger was a captain in the United States Air Force
and piloted the B-47 bomber
. He was the executive secretary of the Peace Corps
during the administration of U.S. President John F. Kennedy
. He was a special assistant to the director of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity
under President Lyndon B. Johnson
.
In 1968, he married the former Linda Morgan
, who in 1956 survived the sinking of the SS Andrea Doria
. He would then be appointed Associate Justice and then Chief Justice of the Fourth Court of Appeals. As chief justice, he presided over the Littleton v. Prange case, enabling same-sex marriages in the court's jurisdiction if one of the partners is transgendered.
Hardberger's decision to run for mayor in the fall of 2004 was somewhat of a surprise because no one without a city council background had been elected mayor of San Antonio in modern history. He defeated Councilman Julian Castro, his ultimate successor as mayor, in a runoff on June 7, 2005. Hardberger himself succeeded Ed Garza, who was prohibited by city statute from serving more than two two-year terms.
He was in office during the fall of 2005 when the New Orleans Saints
were displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina
and set up their operations in San Antonio. The 2005 season was split between the Alamodome
in San Antonio and LSU
's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Various media reports in the San Antonio Express-News
indicated the owner and government officials in San Antonio were working behind the scenes concerning a possible permanent relocation to San Antonio. Hardberger pushed a strong verbal campaign to pursue the Saints. Other officials, including Texas Governor
Rick Perry
, had indicated they would also support a relocation to San Antonio, including using funding to upgrade the Alamodome, or possibly build a new stadium.
It is disputed in some circles as to the amount of discussions that happened between Mayor Hardberger and the New Orleans Saints. According to the San Antonio Express-News, Mayor Hardberger also encouraged Saints owner Tom Benson
to sue the NFL and commissioner Paul Tagliabue
to try to keep the team in San Antonio permanently. No lawsuit was ever filed. Hardberger hasn't given up hope on another professional sports team even though the Saints have returned to New Orleans when he said, "Sometimes dates do lead to marriage proposals. We don't have to be a one-franchise town." Hardberger goes on to say,"I'm going to support the county judge on this Marlins thing," Hardberger says. "But I have not changed my mind about the NFL. Baseball is a great game. But there isn't any doubt in my mind that, if we're going to take on an additional professional franchise, the great majority of people here would like a football team."..."I am absolutely certain that we will wind up with an NFL team in the next few years. It is coming, and if it's not the Saints, it will be somebody else."
At the time Hardberger was first elected the city had been in talks with Major League Soccer
to bring a franchise to the city as part of the league's continued expansion plans. Hardberger put an end to the talks, stating "Goodbye. That's what I would tell MLS," contending that the deal did not make financial sense for San Antonio.
Hardberger was re-elected in May 2007 and completed his term in May 2009. One of his final acts as Mayor was to garner support to change the city’s restrictive mayoral term limits from two to four two-year terms.
Today, Hardberger is widely viewed as one of the city’s most successful mayors. He captured 77 percent of the vote during his re-election in 2007 and left the mayor’s office at the end of his second term with an approval rating of 86 percent. During his two terms in office he was instrumental in leading San Antonio’s response to Katrina and Rita victims, growing San Antonio’s park space with the acquisition of Voelcker Park and the new San Antonio River expansion, starting Haven for Hope as a new city facility for San Antonio’s growing homeless population, and setting the city on the road to being recognized as a green city as a result of its Mission Verde initiative. Hardberger also was responsible for redeveloping Main Plaza to restore the city’s original downtown center of government and society (dating to Spanish territorial days) and for bringing on Sheryl Sculley as City Manager.
In December 2009, in recognition of the former mayor’s leadership and foresight in championing quality of life projects, the City of San Antonio announced it was changing the name of Voelcker Park to Phil Hardberger Park.
In January 2010, Hardberger became a shareholder at Cox Smith, the largest law firm in San Antonio and one of the leading business law firms in Texas. He supports the firm’s Litigation, Appellate, Public Law and Economic Development practices, and is actively involved in the firm’s external affairs and community relations. Hardberger said he plans to continue working on issues surrounding the city’s River Walk expansion, development of the Bexar County Performing Arts Center and completion of Phil Hardberger Park.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He took office in June 2005. He is a Democrat; however, as with all mayoral, city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, and school board positions in Texas, Hardberger was elected on a non-partisan ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
.
Hardberger was born in Morton
Morton, Texas
Morton is a town in Cochran County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,249 at the 2000 census. The population has been in steady decline since the 1960s and is estimated to have dropped by approximately 15% from the 2000 number when the 2010 Census is completed. Morton is the county seat of...
, the seat of Cochran County in West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
, to Homer Reeves Hardberger (1908–1986) and the former Bess Scott (1913–2008). In 1943, the family moved to O'Donnell
O'Donnell, Texas
O'Donnell is a West Texas town that lies primarily in Lynn County, with a small portion extending south into Dawson County, Texas. The population was 1,011 at the 2000 census.-History:O'Donnell was first settled in 1910 and named for Tom J...
in Lynn County near Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. As a youth, Hardberger worked in cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
s. Mrs. Hardberger, a native of Burnet County
Burnet County, Texas
Burnet County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 34,147. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate was 44,488. Its county seat is Burnet. Burnet is named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas...
, taught school in O'Donnell for thirty-three years and was a 1955 graduate of Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock. Son Phil graduated the same year from Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
. Hardberger was reared in the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church. He has a younger sister, Jan Peranteau, who was born in 1945 in Lamesa
Lamesa, Texas
Lamesa is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,952 at the 2000 census. Located south of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado, Lamesa was founded in 1903. Most of the economy is based on cattle ranching and cotton farming. The Preston E...
, the seat of Dawson County, also in the Texas South Plains
South Plains
South Plains is a vernacular term that refers to a region in West Texas consisting of the portion of the Llano Estacado extending south of the Texas Panhandle, centered at Lubbock. While prominent in the area of petroleum production, the South Plains is mainly an agricultural region, producing a...
country. Hardberger said that his mother was "the single most cheerful person I've ever known. She loved the tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s here in San Antonio and always had a positive spirit."
After Baylor, Hardberger was a captain 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...
and piloted the B-47 bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
. He was the executive secretary of the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
during the administration of U.S. President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. He was a special assistant to the director of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity
Office of Economic Opportunity
The Office of Economic Opportunity was the agency responsible for administering most of the War on Poverty programs created as part of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society legislative agenda.- History :...
under President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
.
In 1968, he married the former Linda Morgan
Linda Morgan
Linda Morgan , now known as Linda Hardberger, became known as the "miracle girl" following the collision of two large passenger ships in the North Atlantic Ocean on the foggy night of July 25, 1956....
, who in 1956 survived the sinking of the SS Andrea Doria
SS Andrea Doria
SS Andrea Doria[p] was an ocean liner for the Italian Line home ported in Genoa, Italy, most famous for its sinking in 1956, when 46 people died. Named after the 16th-century Genoese admiral Andrea Doria, the ship had a gross register tonnage of 29,100 and a capacity of about 1,200 passengers and...
. He would then be appointed Associate Justice and then Chief Justice of the Fourth Court of Appeals. As chief justice, he presided over the Littleton v. Prange case, enabling same-sex marriages in the court's jurisdiction if one of the partners is transgendered.
Hardberger's decision to run for mayor in the fall of 2004 was somewhat of a surprise because no one without a city council background had been elected mayor of San Antonio in modern history. He defeated Councilman Julian Castro, his ultimate successor as mayor, in a runoff on June 7, 2005. Hardberger himself succeeded Ed Garza, who was prohibited by city statute from serving more than two two-year terms.
He was in office during the fall of 2005 when the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
were displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and set up their operations in San Antonio. The 2005 season was split between the Alamodome
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
in San Antonio and LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Various media reports in the San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
indicated the owner and government officials in San Antonio were working behind the scenes concerning a possible permanent relocation to San Antonio. Hardberger pushed a strong verbal campaign to pursue the Saints. Other officials, including Texas Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
, had indicated they would also support a relocation to San Antonio, including using funding to upgrade the Alamodome, or possibly build a new stadium.
It is disputed in some circles as to the amount of discussions that happened between Mayor Hardberger and the New Orleans Saints. According to the San Antonio Express-News, Mayor Hardberger also encouraged Saints owner Tom Benson
Tom Benson
See also Tom Benson and Tom Benson for the Northern Ireland Unionist.Tom Benson is the owner of the New Orleans Saints. He is currently the owner of several automobile dealerships in the Greater New Orleans and San Antonio areas...
to sue the NFL and commissioner Paul Tagliabue
Paul Tagliabue
Paul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL...
to try to keep the team in San Antonio permanently. No lawsuit was ever filed. Hardberger hasn't given up hope on another professional sports team even though the Saints have returned to New Orleans when he said, "Sometimes dates do lead to marriage proposals. We don't have to be a one-franchise town." Hardberger goes on to say,"I'm going to support the county judge on this Marlins thing," Hardberger says. "But I have not changed my mind about the NFL. Baseball is a great game. But there isn't any doubt in my mind that, if we're going to take on an additional professional franchise, the great majority of people here would like a football team."..."I am absolutely certain that we will wind up with an NFL team in the next few years. It is coming, and if it's not the Saints, it will be somebody else."
At the time Hardberger was first elected the city had been in talks with Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
to bring a franchise to the city as part of the league's continued expansion plans. Hardberger put an end to the talks, stating "Goodbye. That's what I would tell MLS," contending that the deal did not make financial sense for San Antonio.
Hardberger was re-elected in May 2007 and completed his term in May 2009. One of his final acts as Mayor was to garner support to change the city’s restrictive mayoral term limits from two to four two-year terms.
Today, Hardberger is widely viewed as one of the city’s most successful mayors. He captured 77 percent of the vote during his re-election in 2007 and left the mayor’s office at the end of his second term with an approval rating of 86 percent. During his two terms in office he was instrumental in leading San Antonio’s response to Katrina and Rita victims, growing San Antonio’s park space with the acquisition of Voelcker Park and the new San Antonio River expansion, starting Haven for Hope as a new city facility for San Antonio’s growing homeless population, and setting the city on the road to being recognized as a green city as a result of its Mission Verde initiative. Hardberger also was responsible for redeveloping Main Plaza to restore the city’s original downtown center of government and society (dating to Spanish territorial days) and for bringing on Sheryl Sculley as City Manager.
In December 2009, in recognition of the former mayor’s leadership and foresight in championing quality of life projects, the City of San Antonio announced it was changing the name of Voelcker Park to Phil Hardberger Park.
In January 2010, Hardberger became a shareholder at Cox Smith, the largest law firm in San Antonio and one of the leading business law firms in Texas. He supports the firm’s Litigation, Appellate, Public Law and Economic Development practices, and is actively involved in the firm’s external affairs and community relations. Hardberger said he plans to continue working on issues surrounding the city’s River Walk expansion, development of the Bexar County Performing Arts Center and completion of Phil Hardberger Park.