George G. Siebels, Jr.

George G. Seibels, Jr., the first Republican Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, was born in 1913 in Coronado, California. He was the son of Rear Admiral George G. Seibels of Montgomery, Alabama and great-grandson of George Goldthwaite, a chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and a United States Senator.

Seibels grew up in Virginia and graduated the University of Virginia with a degree in history in 1937. While at Virginia, he was the intramural light-heavy weight boxing champion for three years, and after graduation, spent one year playing professional football.

Seibels moved to Birmingham in 1938 to work in the insurance business. In December 1941, he enlisted in the United States Navy and was commissioned an officer in 1942, rising to the rank of Lieutenant. He served on anti-submarine duty and on a combat minesweeper in the North African and Mediterranean Theatres, participating in the assault on Italy.

Returning to Birmingham after the war, Seibels co-chaired the committee responsible for the Vulcan statue’s Safety Torch. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Alabama Jaycees for traffic safety promotion. In 1947 Birmingham won first place in the Jaycees National Safety Award contest with Seibels as Chairman of the local Traffic Safety Committee. The George G. Seibels Traffic Safety Award is now given annually by the Jaycees to the Traffic Safety Chairman whose city has had the best traffic safety program.

Seibels was elected to the Birmingham City Council in 1963, served as Mayor of Birmingham from 1967 to 1975, and represented Jefferson County in the Alabama legislature from 1978 to 1990.

George Seibels died in Birmingham in March 2000.