Herenton, W. W. (Willie W.), 1940-

Willie Wilbert Herenton (born April 23, 1940) is an American educator and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he notably served as the 62nd Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, the first African American to hold the position, from 1992 to 2009.

Born and educated in Memphis, he moved to Chicago to become a professional boxer following his graduationm from high school. Realizing the limitations of a high school education, Herenton soon regretted his decision, returning to Memphis and enrolling at LeMoyne College there. Herenton graduated from LeMoyne College at the age of 21 and became a fifth-grade public school teacher in Memphis. The following year he earned a master’s degree at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis). In 1969 Herenton was appointed principal of the school he attended as a child. Three years later, he completed a Ph.D. degree at Southern Illinois University. In 1979, Herenton was named superintendent of the Memphis Public Schools, the fifteenth largest school system in the United States, and one of the poorest.

In the late 1980s Herenton became interested in politics, and in 1991 he was elected the first African American mayor of Memphis. During his tenure, Herenton worked to bridge the deep racial divide in Memphis. Under his leadership, the city experienced an economic boom that put it on solid financial footing, resulted in the redevelopment of downtown and the arrival of professional sports teams: the Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Redbirds. In 2009, he formed an exploratory committee to run in the 2010 US Congressional Election for the 9th District of Tennessee and resigned as Mayor. Herenton lost to incumbent 9th District US Representative Steve Cohen in the Democratic primary.

On April 5, 2018, Herenton announced his intention to run for Mayor of Memphis for a 6th term in 2019. In October 2019, he lost to incumbent Jim Strickland.