John S. Jackson

John Sidney Jackson (July 18, 1921 – June 24, 1987) was an American politician who served as the first African American surgeon, city commissioner, and mayor of Lakeland, Florida.

Biography Jackson was born on July 18, 1921, in Birmingham, Alabama, but was raised in Youngstown, Ohio, where his family had moved to escape racial discrimination and to seek higher salaried employment. He attended East High School where he played football. and re-elected in 1970 in a landslide election garnering strong support from the city's white population. On January 2, 1973, he was officially appointed mayor by the City Commission by a 4–3 vote, He served as a Commissioner until 1975.

Personal life and death Jackson married Edna Murray while a senior in college.