Sam Massell

Temple Members

(1927 - )

Born in 1927, Sam A. Massell Jr. became the first Jewish mayor of the city of Atlanta, serving from 1970 to 1974. A native of Atlanta, he attended Druid Hills High School, the University of Georgia, and Emory University. Active in commercial real estate, an industry in which his uncle Ben had thrived, he also served for twenty-two years in elective office.

As mayor, he helped create the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), the Omni Coliseum, and Woodruff Park. He actively encouraged minority opportunities in city government and appointed the first woman to the Atlanta City Council. After losing his reelection bid to Maynard Jackson, Massell operated a travel agency and became the founding president of the Buckhead Coalition in 1988.