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Ralph J. Perk
Former Cleveland Mayor Carl B. Stokes (right) "passes the torch" to Mayor-Elect Ralph J. Perk (left) in 1971.
52nd Mayor of Cleveland
In office 1972–1977
Preceded by	Carl B. Stokes
Succeeded by	Dennis J. Kucinich
Personal details
Born	Ralph Joseph Perk January 19, 1914 Cleveland, Ohio
Died	April 21, 1999 (aged 85) Westlake, Ohio
Political party	Republican
Children	Ralph J. Perk, Jr., Thomas Perk, Kenneth Perk, Allen G. Perk
Occupation	Politician, lawyer

Ralph Joseph Perk (January 19, 1914 – April 21, 1999) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the 52nd mayor of Cleveland, Ohio.

Contents [hide] 1 Political career 1.1 Controversies 1.2 Family 2 References

[edit]Political career

Perk served five terms on Cleveland City Council from the city's Ward 13. In 1962, Perk was elected auditor of Cuyahoga County, the first Republican to win countywide office in a half century. He was re-elected in 1966 and again in 1970. In 1969, Perk ran for mayor of Cleveland and was defeated in the general election. In 1971, after two unsuccessful attempts, Perk won the Republican nomination for the office of mayor. He defeated future mayor, governor, and U.S. Senator George Voinovich, then a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, in the primary election. Perk went on to win the general election and was reelected in 1973 and 1975. In 1977, however, Perk suffered an upset defeat in the non-partisan primary election for mayor.

[edit]Controversies

As mayor, Perk became the subject of national ridicule on October 16, 1972, when he accidentally set his hair on fire while he attempted to use a welder's torch for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a convention in Cleveland ^[1]

Perk was again publicly humiliated after suggesting that a study on pornography ought to be conducted by municipal sanitation workers. Perk also banned the sale of Playboy Magazine at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, causing even more ridicule to fall upon him. Perk's wife, Lucille, achieved notoriety when she rejected an invitation from the First Lady Pat Nixon to an event at the White House in order to attend her regular bowling night. Later, Perk explained his wife's comment to mean that she was unable to attend because the invitation had come too late and she was unable to prepare for travel. Perk was rumored to say, "tell them it's your bowling night." Though the remark brought howls of laughter, it endeared the Perks to their ethnic base.