Frank Monteverde was the first and only Italian American Mayor of Memphis, TN from 1918 – 1919. He also was the first native Memphian to hold that office. He defeated the "Boss" Crump machine that had held a tight grip on Memphis politics. Many of the local politicians in Memphis at that time were members of the KKK which made his election even more remarkable. This was more than a decade before Fiorello Laguardia defeated Tammany Hall in N.Y.C.

Frank was the son of Italian immigrants who settled in the Bluff City during the late 1800's. He started off as a store clerk before running for state legislator and winning when he was 22. He later was successfully elected Sheriff three straight times and performed the last hanging in Memphis. While Mayor he aggressively worked to eradicate the last remnants of yellow fever that ravaged the city twice in the 1870's. He also hired the first blacks to the Memphis police department since 1891 and appointed the first black detectives.

Mayor Monteverde was a businessman, politician, and poet. His poetry books are still available on Amazon.
A man that was devoted to civic responsibility he was a member of the Elks, Moose, Italian Society, and Knights of Columbus where he served as state Supreme over all councils in TN. He was a graduate of Christian Bothers College in Memphis and served on their board and led their expansion as one the few Catholic schools in the City.

Frank L Monteverde served the citizens of Memphis proudly for many years and rose above the rancor and hate during a time when there was much discrimination against immigrants and Catholics in the South.