new city manager, Paul Morton, accused Dempster of cronyism, and undid most of Dempster's contracts and pay raises. Walker's term as mayor proved tumultuous, and Dempster's allies managed to oust Walker in a recall election in 1947. Dempster was elected mayor in 1951. His tenure was largely stagnant, as two major textile mills closed, and the downtown area declined with the rise of suburban shopping centers. After he proposed a modest tax increase, Knoxvillians revolted, and voted him out of office in 1955. State politics Dempster served as the campaign manager for Henry Horton's gubernatorial campaign in 1928, and was subsequently appointed the state's commissioner of finance and taxation. In 1932, he was appointed to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Commission, which was responsible for buying land for the national park. Dempster ran for governor in 1940, and lost in the primaries to Prentice Cooper. Later life Dempster was named a delegate to the 1956 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, although he largely retired from city politics after his defeat in 1955. He later rejoined his old nemesis Cas Walker in a successful attempt to thwart city-county consolidation, which was soundly rejected by Knoxville and Knox County voters in a 1959 referendum. Dempster died of a heart attack on September 18, 1964. Over 1,000 mourners, among them US senators Al Gore, Sr., and Herbert S. Walters, crowded into the St. James Episcopal Church for Dempster's funeral. He was buried next to his wife in Greenwood Cemetery. Legacy Buildings constructed during Dempster's tenures as city manager and mayor include the Henley Street Bridge, the Church Avenue and Fifth Avenue viaducts, four public library branches, and Bill Meyer Stadium. He also convinced the city to buy Chilhowee Park and Tyson Park. Dempster built several houses in Knoxville, some of which still stand in Fountain City and Old North Knoxville. Dempster hired the city's first African-American civil service secretary, and supported desegregation in the 1950s and 1960s. He championed a number of causes in support of the handicapped and the blind, including a radio program that featured blind pianists. He was given the Father Abram Ryan Award by the Knights of Columbus in recognition of his civil service shortly before his death. References External links Classic Refuse Trucks – Dempster Brothers — collection of circa-1950s and 1960s photographs Waste managers 1887 births 1964 deaths Mayors of Knoxville, Tennessee Businesspeople from Tennessee American