Former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell has died at the age of 94. He was also known as the unofficial mayor of Buckhead.
Massell became Atlanta’s first Jewish mayor in 1970 after serving on the city council for eight years. In total, he served 22 years in elected offices — including eight as the President of Atlanta’s Board of Alderman and four as the city’s 53rd mayor.
He was considered liberal at the time and was elected with help from Atlanta’s Black community. In a 2017 interview on WABE’s “Closer Look,” Massell spoke about his biggest challenge in office.
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