John Fulmer Bright

John Fulmer Bright (November 17, 1877 – December 29, 1953) was an American politician and physician.

John Fulmer Bright
55th Mayor of Richmond, Virginia
In office 1924–1940
Preceded by	George Ainslie
Succeeded by	Gordon Barbour Ambler
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Richmond City
In office January 11, 1922 – January 9, 1924
Preceded by	Albert O. Boschen
Succeeded by	Albert O. Boschen
Personal details
Born	John Fulmer Bright November 17, 1877 Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Died	December 29, 1953 (aged 76) Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Medical College of Virginia
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Rank	Brigadier general
Battles/wars	World War I World War II

Bright received an M.D. from the Medical College of Virginia in 1898. He sat in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the city of Richmond in 1922.

Bright served as mayor of Richmond 1924–1940. As mayor, He believed in limited government and frequently vetoed development projects. He also opposed the federal housing program during the Great Depression. Largely in response to the way he had used his veto power, in 1948 a new city charter weakened the mayor's power by implementing a city manager system and replaced the bicameral city council with a single nine-person body whose members were elected at large.

Bright died of heart disease on December 29, 1953, and was buried in Hollywood Cemetery, in Richmond.

See also

• List of mayors of Richmond, Virginia

References

• Robert C. Glass and Carter Glass Jr., Virginia Democracy (1937), 3:108–109.
• John T. Kneebone et al., eds., Dictionary of Virginia Biography (1998- ), 2:231-233. ISBN 0-88490-199-8
• Christopher Silver, Twentieth-Century Richmond: Planning, Politics, and Race (1984), 90–93, 130–131, 146–150, 176–181, 188–189.
• Obituaries in Richmond News Leader and Richmond Times-Dispatch, both 30 Dec. 1953.