John P. Grace

John P. Grace was the fifty-first mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, completing two, nonconsecutive terms from 1911 to 1915 and then 1919 to 1923.

Among his administrations' achievements were an extensive street paving program and the construction of the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge, which was dedicated to him.

Grace was born on December 30, 1874, in Charleston to James I. Grace and Elizabeth Daly Grace. His father died when Grace was still a child, and he helped support his family by carrying milk deliveries from a cow that his mother kept. Ironically, one of Grace's accomplishments was the outlawing of cows in the city for sanitary reasons. Grace left high school to start his own business. He was hired by William Elliott, the U.S. representative for Grace's district, and worked in Washington, during which time he studied law at Georgetown University. he returned to Charleston and started a law practice in 1902. He ran for the South Carolina Senate in 1902 but lost and lost again in 1904 when he ran for county sheriff and again in 1908 in a race for the United States Senate. His first election victory was a slim win in 1911 for mayor of Charleston. In 1915, his opponent from 1911, Tristram Hyde, ousted him, but Grace was again elected to the office in 1919. His loss in 1923 for a third term was his final campaign.

His campaigns were frequently hard fought, and the National Guard was called out for the voting in 1915, 1919, and 1923. In 1915, Tristram Hyde won the nomination of the Democratic Party against Grace by only eight votes, and a dispute broke out during a meeting of the Democratic Executive Committee in the second floor of a building at the southwest corner of George and King Streets over the election. Gunfire broke out, and a reporter was killed.

In the 1919 race, Grace again ran against Hyde. Although the outcome showed Hyde with a one-vote lead, after challenges, the Democratic Executive Committee declared Grace the winner. His opponents began running a series of advertisements attacking Grace, taking advantage of pro-German sentiments he had expressed as the editor of a local paper, The Charleston American. Indeed, because of his views, he was threatened with the loss of mailing privileges for his newspaper if he did not stop his strong editorials. Grace ended his editorship but continued to direct the operation of the newspaper.

His most lasting accomplishment was the construction of the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge, which spanned the Cooper River to connect Charleston and Mt. Pleasant. A ferry system had been used to that point. He suggested the bridge in 1927, and the project opened in 1929.

Grace died at his home at 174 Broad Street, Charleston, South Carolina.