Tucker501/William Telford

After leaving office, the Telfords would spend winters in their second home in Naples, Florida. The moved to Florida permanently in 1991. Mrs. Telford died in May 2000 at the age of 90. Mr. Telford died three years later, August 2003, at the age of 91.

In October 1974, Telford announced he would run for re-election. He was re-elected Mayor the following April, receiving almost 60% of the vote. He was challenged and defeated his predecessor, Nelson Howarth.

In late 1970, Telford confirmed that he was interested in running for Mayor. He said that if the proposed Constitution of Illinois is adopted, it would allow municipalities to abolish the Coroner as an elected official. During his campaign, he agreed that if elected Mayor, he would immediately resign his position as coroner. On April 6, 1971, William Telford was elected Mayor of Springfield, Illinois.

Pauline Telford was a newspaper reporter, and would later go on to become the Women's Editor of the local Springfield newspapers, The Illinois State Journal and The Illinois State Register, later to be merged and become The State Journal-Register. She worked for the newspaper from 1960 until retiring in February 1977.

With no political experience, Telford entered the race for Sangamon County Coroner in January 1952. He won the GOP primary in April 1952, and was elected Coroner in the General Election in November 1952. He would be re-elected four more times as Coroner.

After four years of service, he was honorably discharged in 1946, and went to work at the J. Ralph Tobin and Son Optometry department in Springfield.

William Telford married his first wife, LaVerne Marlowe of Springfield on March 3, 1944. The marriage would only three years, ending in a divorce in March 1947. Telford would go on to marry again later that same year, to Pauline L. McCormick, also of Springfield, on August 2, 1947. The couple would not have any biological children of their own, however Mrs. Telford did have a daughter from a previous marriage.

William Telford (June 15, 1912 – August 21, 2003) was an American politician who served as mayor of Springfield, Illinois.  He served for two consecutive terms, from 1971 to 1979. He was succeeded by J. Michael Houston on April 10, 1979.

William Telford was born in Springfield, Illinois in 1912, the son of William C. Sr. and Amelia Cairns Telford. He graduated from Springfield High School, and attended Northern Illinois School of Optometry, where he graduated in 1932.  He operated his own optometry office in Springfield for 10 years, before enlisting in the U.S. Army during World War II. Telford was stationed at Jefferson Barracks, MO., where he had charge of all eye examinations and prescribed eye glasses for the station hospital.

Category:Mayors of Springfield, Illinois Category:Illinois Republicans Category:1910 births