Dale Danks
American politician (1939–2021)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alney Dale Danks Jr.[1] (August 27, 1939 – June 9, 2021)[2] was an American attorney who served as the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, from 1977 to 1989.[3][4]
August 27, 1939
Dale Danks | |
|---|---|
| |
| Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi | |
| In office 1977–1989 | |
| Preceded by | Russell C. Davis |
| Succeeded by | J. Kane Ditto |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alney Dale Danks Jr. August 27, 1939 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | June 9, 2021 (aged 81) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Party | Republican (1995–2021) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (until 1995) |
| Parent(s) | Alney Dale Danks Sr. Elizabeth Ross Banks |
Biography
Alney Dale Danks Jr. was born on August 27, 1939, in Miami, Florida, to Alney Dale Danks Sr. and Elizabeth Ross.[2] When Danks was 3, his family moved to Alabama.[2] In 1954, his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi.[2] He graduated from Murrah High School and enrolled in Millsaps College in 1957.[5] In June 1959, he dropped out of Millsaps College and married Carolyn Carl.[5] In 1963, he graduated law school at the Jackson School of Law and was admitted to the bar.[6]
Political career
In 1965, Danks first ran for city commissioner as a Republican and lost. He ran for becoming the Hinds County prosecutor in 1968 and lost. He won the election to become the Hinds County prosecutor in 1972.[2] In 1977, he ran for the mayor office of Jackson, Mississippi as a Democrat, beating Republican candidate Doug Shanks.[7][8] He won re-election in 1981.[2] Starting in 1985, he became the first mayor of the city under mayor-council form.[9] Danks stopped being the mayor of Jackson in 1989, when he lost in a runoff election to J. Kane Ditto.[6][10]
Later life
He returned to practicing law.[6] After 1989, he was appointed as a municipal judge in Madison, Mississippi.[6] In 2004, he formed a law firm with attorney Michael Cory, named "Danks, Miller & Cory".[6] In 2005, he served on the transition team of mayor Frank Melton.[3]
Danks died of complications from a stroke on June 9, 2021.[11][6]