Former Tempe mayor and congressional representative Harry Mitchell spoke Wednesday about the transition of Tempe from a small town to a modern community at the Tempe History Museum.
“Back in 1940 when I was born, no one bragged about living in Tempe,” Mitchell said. “However, the folks here have endured and, little by little, Tempe put itself on the map.”
Mitchell spoke to an audience of about 40 people as a guest of the Tempe Historical Society.
A significant factor in Tempe’s expansion was the relocation of America West Airlines’ headquarters to Tempe in the 1980s.
The growth of America West Airlines, now a part of US Airways Group, benefited the Tempe community, Mitchell said.
“The America West Airlines project was a major gamble for us because if things had gone south, it would have set Tempe back many years,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said unlike other modern American cities capable of expanding into undeveloped land, Tempe is restricted geographically.
“One thing that people don’t realize about Tempe is that we were set at 40 square miles and couldn’t really expand into any new tracts of land,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell also pointed out that the development of Tempe over past decades has improved the neighborhoods surrounding ASU.
“Local development has been amazing and as a result all four neighborhoods surrounding the ASU campus are safe and prosperous,” Mitchell said. “You can’t say that about many other university towns.”
Tempe Historical Society member and ASU alumnus Ernie Nichols said he was impressed by Tempe’s achievements despite the obstacles.
“We had a number of setbacks in the early going,” Nichols said. “However, our city council worked hard, and eventually, we pumped life into this city.”
Black and white photos of Tempe in the ’50s and ’60s were placed around Mitchell’s podium.
As he admired the photos after the speech, Gary Bennett, a Tempe resident since 1956, said the city’s growth is impressive.
“You watch the news today and you realize that as a lot of other places seem to be shrinking, Tempe is growing,” Bennett said. “Tempe has come so far in so many ways.”
Reach the reporter at mjgordo1@asu.edu
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