Ralph J. Perk
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Ralph Joseph Perk (January 19, 1914–April 21, 1999) was an American politician of the Republican party and served as the 52nd mayor of Cleveland, Ohio.
Perk served five terms on Cleveland City Council, representing the city's Ward 13. In 1962, Perk was elected auditor of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the first Republican to win countywide office since the 1910s. He won re-election in 1966 and again in 1970. In 1969, Perk ran for mayor of Cleveland and was defeated in the general election. In 1971, after two unsuccessful attempts, Perk won the Republican nomination for the office of mayor, defeating future mayor, governor, and senator George Voinovich, then a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, in the primary election. Perk went on to win the general election and won re-election in 1973 and 1975. In 1977, however, Perk suffered an upset defeat in the non-partisan primary election.
As mayor, Perk became the subject of national ridicule when he accidentally set his hair on fire while attempting to use a welder's torch to cut a ribbon at a campaign event. Perk was again publicly humiliated after suggesting that a study on pornography ought to be conducted by municipal sanitation workers. Perk's wife, Lucille, achieved notoriety when she rejected an invitation from the First Lady Pat Nixon to an event at the White House in order to attend her regular bowling night. Later, Perk explained his wife's comment to mean that she was unable to attend because the invitation had come too late and she was unable to prepare for travel. Perk was rumored to say, "tell them it's your bowling night." Though the remark brought howls of laughter, it endeared the Perks to their ethnic base.
Perk served as mayor of Cleveland from 1972 to 1977. He had a reputation of being tough with city employee labor unions. One time, the fire fighters union instigated a protest by closing City Hall one day by standing on the front steps of the building letting in only the mail and their political allies. The ploy worked and the fire fighters received what they were negotiating.
In 1974, Perk won the Republican nomination for the United States Senate seat formerly held by William B. Saxbe, who had resigned to accept the appointment to the office of United States Attorney General. Perk, however, was defeated soundly by Democrat John H. Glenn Jr.. Perk had stated that he was counting on running against the incumbent senator, Howard M. Metzenbaum, who had been recently appointed to the seat, but was defeated in the primary by Glenn. After Glenn had been nominated, Perk had stated he could not defeat Glenn.
Perk died in Westlake, Ohio in 1999.
Perk's son, Ralph J. Perk Jr. served as a municipal court judge in Cleveland from 1989 to 2003. Another son, Thomas Perk, is a council member in the village of Valley View, Ohio in addition to being a fire fighter. Yet another son, Kenneth Perk, is a member of the board of education in Valley View.
References
- The Encyclopedia Of Cleveland History by Cleveland Bicentennial Commission (Cleveland, Ohio), David D. Van Tassel (Editor), and John J. Grabowski (Editor) ISBN 0253330564