William H. Sharpley (December 2, 1854 – December 5, 1928) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Denver, Colorado from 1915 to 1916.[1]

William H. Sharpley
Sharpley, circa 1916
29th Mayor of Denver
In office
1915–1916
Preceded byJ. M. Perkins
Succeeded byRobert W. Speer
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 1st district
In office
1911–1915
Preceded byJames C. Burger
Succeeded byFrank L. Dodge
Personal details
Born(1854-12-02)December 2, 1854
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
DiedDecember 5, 1928(1928-12-05) (aged 74)
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Kate Lennon
(m. 1883)
EducationUniversity of Denver

Biography

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Sharpley was born on December 2, 1854 in Norfolk, Virginia. He attended public schools in Denver. He studied at the University of Denver, his tuition funded by his work with newspapers.[2]

He worked as a police surgeon from 1898 to 1904, then worked as a health commissioner from 1904 to 1912. From 1911 to 1915, he was a member of the Colorado Senate from the 1st district. From 1915 to 1916, he was mayor of Denver. He was the Denver Manager of Health and Charity from 1915 to 1923,[2] handling the Spanish flu while in office.[3][4]

He died in Denver of heart disease on December 5, 1928, aged 74.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "History of the Office of the Mayor". City and County of Denver. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b Stone, Wilbur Fiske (1918). History of Colorado. S.J. Clarke Publishing Company.
  3. ^ "No Influenza In City, Asserts Dr. Sharpley". Rocky Mountain News. 1 October 1918. p. 5.
  4. ^ "Denver, Colorado and the 1918-1919 Influenza Epidemic | The American Influenza Epidemic of 1918: A Digital Encyclopedia". www.influenzaarchive.org. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  5. ^ "Former Mayor of Denver Dies of Heart Disease". Waco News-Tribune. December 6, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved December 11, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.  
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