Honorable Frank G. Jackson served as the 56th Mayor of the City of Cleveland. He served four full terms from 2006 to 2022 making him the longest-serving mayor in Cleveland history.
Mayor Jackson grew up in Cleveland’s Central and Kinsman neighborhoods. After graduating from Max S. Hayes High School, he served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. After his discharge, Jackson attended Cuyahoga Community College where he earned an associate degree. He later attended Cleveland State University (CSU), earning a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and History, a master’s degree in Urban Affairs from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, and a Juris Doctor from the Cleveland State University College of Law.
He passed the Ohio bar exam and started his legal career as an assistant city prosecutor. In 1989, Jackson won a seat on the Cleveland City Council for Ward 5. As Councilman, Jackson spearheaded efforts to bring in approximately a half billion dollars of community investments, working to clean up and stabilize his ward. Jackson’s progress in Ward 5 aided his election to Council President in 2001.
On January 2, 2006, Jackson was sworn in as Cleveland’s 56th mayor at East Technical High School. In his inaugural address, Jackson vowed to make Cleveland a city where we are “one people, one community, living and working together, with respect, justice and equality.” He promised improvements in the city’s school system and better relations with Cleveland’s neighboring suburbs.
He was instrumental in opening the City Hall Rotunda to people celebrating their diverse ethnic heritages resulting in annual Italian Heritage Day, Lebanon Day, Hispanic Heritage events, Black History Month, Asian Pacific heritage and so on.
He was part of celebrations for the Polish, Jewish, Chinese, Rusyn, Armenian, Irish, Albanian, Liberian, Serbian, Slovenian, Ethiopian, Puerto Rican, Russian, Hungarian and many more communities.
He solidified and grew Cleveland’s Sister City relationships with places such as Rouen, France and Fier, Albania.
Mayor Jackson was inducted by Albert Ratner and presented by Valarie J. McCall (Mr. Ratner could not attend so Valarie included his remarks with hers)
Watch the video of the speeches.
into Cleveland International Hall of Fame
into Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Cleveland International Hall of Fame acceptance speech
and Mayor Frank G. Jackson
Mayor Frank Jackson, Gia Hoa Ryan, Svetlana Stolyarova
Pierre Bejjani, Svetlana Stolyarova
2025 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame
2025 Inductees Mayor Frank Jackson and David Gilbert
Congratulations Mayor Jackson
Back to the 2025 Cleveland International Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony