ensuing runoff. The runoff still had to take place per state law, however, and Purcell won. He was sworn in as mayor on September 24. Purcell was reelected to a second term in 2003 with a record-setting 84.8 percent of the vote. Purcell is the second native Northerner to serve as mayor of Nashville (at least since the merger of Nashville and Davidson County in 1963); the first was Bredesen. Purcell opted not to run for a third term due to the same amendment that led Bredesen to stand down after two terms, and stepped down at the end of his term in 2007. In the fall of 2007 he served as a fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics, and later as the Dean of the school of Public Service and Urban Affairs at Tennessee State University. He was succeeded as mayor by Metro's law director, Karl Dean. Personal life Purcell and his wife Debbie Miller live in the historic Lockeland Springs neighborhood of East Nashville. Bill Purcell was a Board of Trustees Member at St. Bonaventure University from 2011-2020. St. Bonaventure is located near Olean, NY. References External links 1953 births Politicians from Philadelphia Mayors of Nashville, Tennessee Hamilton College (New York) alumni Vanderbilt University alumni Harvard Kennedy School faculty Tennessee State University faculty Living people Members of the Country Music Association People from Davidson County, Tennessee