Roman Gribbs
| Roman Gribbs | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals | |
|
In office January 1, 1983 – January 1, 2001 |
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| 65th Mayor of Detroit | |
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In office January 6, 1970 – January 1, 1974 |
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| Preceded by | Jerome Cavanagh |
| Succeeded by | Coleman Young |
| Wayne County Sheriff | |
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In office 1968–1969 |
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| Preceded by | Peter L. Buback |
| Succeeded by | William Lucas (Michigan) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Roman Stanley Gribbs December 29, 1925 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | April 5, 2016 (aged 90) Northville, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Katherine Stratis (m. 1954–82) Leola Young Barr (m. 1990–2016) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of Detroit |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1944–1948 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Roman Stanley Gribbs (December 29, 1925 – April 5, 2016) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Detroit from 1970 to 1974. Later, Gribbs served as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals. Gribbs was the last white mayor of the city, which was in the midst of becoming a majority-black city, until the election of Mike Duggan in 2013.
Gribbs was born in Detroit on December 29, 1925. He was raised on a farm near Capac, Michigan. His parents were Polish immigrants who were basically farmers, though his father also worked on the Ford assembly line. After graduating from high school in 1944, Gribbs served in the Army until 1948. He graduated from the University of Detroit in 1952 with a degree in economics and accounting, and received a law degree from the same institution in 1954. He was an instructor at the university from 1955 through 1957, and became an assistant prosecutor in 1957, a position he held until 1964. He entered private practice in 1964, and ran for a seat as a Recorder's Court judge in 1966, but lost.
In 1968, Gribbs was appointed sheriff of Wayne County, later winning a full four-year term. However, in 1969 he was elected mayor of Detroit, defeating opponent Richard H. Austin who later became Michigan Secretary of State. Rather than residing in the Manoogian Mansion, official residence of the mayor of Detroit, Gribbs maintained residence in Rosedale Park Historic District (Detroit, Michigan), a neighborhood in northwest Detroit. In 1973, Gribbs declined to seek re-election and was replaced by Coleman Young who was elected Detroit's first African-American mayor in November of that year.
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