In January 1977, Mayor Tom Vandergriff unexpectedly resigned from office. He had served as Arlington’s mayor for 26 years. Mayor Pro Tem S.J. Stovall took office in what would be a transition period for Arlington.
A stunning resignation leads to a new mayor
Tom Vandergriff, who served as Arlington’s mayor from 1951 to 1977, abruptly resigned in a January City Council meeting. The news stunned City Council members and residents. Few people, if any—including his successor—seemed to know it was coming. Vandergriff timed his resignation so there wouldn’t have to be a special election to fill his position. Thus, Mayor Pro Tem S.J. Stovall took office.
A growing town
With the opening of General Motors in 1954 and Six Flags Over Texas in 1961—efforts primarily led by Vandergriff—Arlington had begun to shed its small-town roots. The 1970s saw further growth for Arlington, with the population increasing by 70,000 during the decade.
In 1972, Arlington welcomed the Texas Rangers baseball team and Seven Seas Marine Life Park, and our Entertainment District started to grow. However, Seven Seas—constructed, operated, and financed by the City of Arlington—was a financial burden from the start. It failed to be profitable and closed in 1976, a few months before Stovall became mayor. (Some wonder whether Vandergriff resigned, in part, due to the park’s failure—one of his very few while in office.) Arlington needed to rebound from the financial mishap.
Mayor S.J. Stovall
When Vandergriff abruptly, albeit voluntarily, stepped down in 1977, it was a critical time in the city’s leadership. Most residents hadn’t known any other mayor besides him. Arlington needed stability and continuity for its forward momentum.
S.J. Stovall, born in 1925 and a native of Lufkin, served in the Air Force and then attended Texas A&M University. As a civil engineer, he moved his family to Arlington in 1950 to work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Stovall joined Arlington’s City Council in 1963. He worked closely on the I-20 project, using his engineering expertise to help establish the best route.
Mayor S.J. Stovall || Photo Credit: City of Arlington
Stovall became mayor on January 18, 1977. He acknowledged that it would be a transition period for the city. Nonetheless, he went to work. He was officially elected in 1978 and served three terms until 1983. During this time, Stovall led efforts to improve infrastructure and construct the Arlington Convention Center and a new City Hall. He helped bring the Wet N’ Wild water park, now known as Hurricane Harbor, to Arlington’s Entertainment District. He brought National Semiconductor and hundreds of decent jobs to south Arlington; the plant operated from 1985 to 2009. Stovall’s tenure was stable and prosperous; it helped continue what Vandergriff had begun.
In 1991, officials dedicated S.J. Stovall Park, a sprawling 52-acre site in south Arlington, in his honor. Stovall passed away on July 14, 2010, at age 84.
Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 01-18-25
Jason S. Sullivan 