Mayor for Life
Following his first term as Mayor, Jerry Abramson ran for and was elected Mayor twice more, earning him the title of longest serving mayor in Louisville’s history and the nickname “Mayor for Life."
Highlights of Jerry Abramson’s first three mayoral terms (1985-1998) include the $700 million expansion of Louisville International Airport; the creation of Waterfront Park as part of the revitalization of Downtown Louisville; and the expansion of the local economy by recruiting Yum Brands and the Presbyterian (Church) USA to relocate to Louisville.
In 1994 he was elected president of the United States Conference of Mayors and assumed roles in national politics as well. In 1991 served on the Housing and Urban Development Commission on Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing, and in 1996, as chairman for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in Kentucky.
