William Thacher Longstreth (1920-2003) was a 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...

 member of the Philadelphia City Council

Philadelphia City Council

The Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number...

, known for his influence. Longstreth was a graduate of Princeton University

Princeton University

Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....

.

Longstreth was an eighth-generation Philadelphian born to Quakers William C. and Nella (née Thacher) Longstreth. His family lived in Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford is an unincorporated community located partially in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA, but primarily in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, about west of Philadelphia. It is on the Main Line, which is known historically for its wealth. As of August 2009,...

, and was affluent until the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Thacher was also a cousin of President Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover

Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...

 and his maternal grandmother, Ella Hoover Thacher was the president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union for many years. In 1970, he led the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and spear-headed the drive to hold the annual Earth Day commemoration in Philadelphia. That event became one of the biggest Earth Day events in the nation.

He was a two-time Republican nominee for Mayor of Philadelphia, first in 1955, losing to Richardson Dilworth

Richardson Dilworth

Richardson K. Dilworth was an American Democratic Party politician, born in the Pittsburgh area, who served as the 91st Mayor of Philadelphia from 1956 to 1962.-Education and early career:...

, and again in 1971, losing to Frank Rizzo

Frank Rizzo

Francis Lazarro "Frank" Rizzo, Sr. was an American police officer and politician. He served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from January 1972 to January 1980; he was Police Commissioner for four years prior to that.-Police Commissioner:Rizzo joined the Philadelphia Police...

.

During his tenure in office he helped support the efforts of Edmund Bacon to bring an urban renaissance to Philadelphia.

He enjoyed wearing bow ties and argyle socks. A long time Councilman At Large, he was a Republican in a city dominated by Democratic politicians.

The Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a United States-based non-profit organization, and its network of chapters nationwide promote research, educate, advocate on issues relating to multiple sclerosis, and organize a wide range of programs, including support for the newly diagnosed and those...

 was established in 1954 by Thacher Longstreth and is one of the largest of the Society’s chapters.

He suffered from Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...

 and died of a pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...

 while on vacation in Naples, Florida

Naples, Florida

Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...

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External links

• Obituary
• http://www.phillygop.com/Candidate/thacher-longstreth.htm
• http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/longstreth/
• http://www.phila.gov/phils/Docs/Inventor/graphics/archser/S060-2.htm