At 12:04 p.m., A C Wharton completed the oath of office for mayor of the City of Memphis as administered by retired Circuit Court judge George Brown, who told his old friend, "Congratulations."
The packed Hall of Mayors at City Hall erupted in cheers and applause.
Wharton gave a speech of just more than 10 minutes that began with him referring to a visit he made on Sunday to see his 93-year-old mother near Lebanon, Tenn., where he had grown up. Wharton, a graduate of Tennessee State and Ole Miss law school, came to Memphis in 1973 to succeed Brown as director of then-fledgling Memphis Area Legal Services.
"She told me to act right and I'll do that as best I can," Wharton said, drawing laughter.
Wharton's speech focused strongly on themes of unity and civility in behavior and a promise of robust customer service from his administration. Wharton was effusive in thanking outgoing Mayor Pro tem Myron Lowery, who now returns to City Council.
"I believe that people will not soon forget the notable actions he took during his tenure as Mayor Pro Tem in efforts to promote efficiency and to invite people into the processes of city government," Wharton said.
He also thanked Lowery's family and campaign staff.
"I daresay because of the way you carried yourself, we have lifted campaigning to a higher level in our great city," Wharton said.
Wharton took a brief detour from his prepared remarks to recall that when he was in the first Leadership Memphis class, in 1979, some of his colleagues had begun a chant that went: "A C in 1983."
Someone in that class actually yelled it out before Wharton, who identified the voice as that of Rev. Mark Metheny.
"They say a good God may be a little late but He is right on time," Wharton picked up. "I may be a little late getting here, but I am right on time."
The religious allusion fit, with Wharton's pastor, Rev. Ray Peterson, beginning the ceremony with an invocation and Rabbi Micah Greenstein closing it by taking off Wharton's campaign theme of One Memphis and urging Memphians to move "from atonement to at one-ment."
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