James LeRoy Giles
James LeRoy Giles was the twenty-second, twenty-fourth, and twenty-sixth Mayor of Orlando, serving non-consecutively from 1916 to 1920, 1924 to 1926, and 1929 to 1932. He also served as an alternate delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Florida in the 1912 United States Presidential Election.
Biography
James Giles was born in Zellwood in Orange County, Florida, on June 16, 1863. His father was the Reverend Enoch H. Giles and his mother was Nellie B. Giles.He first became Mayor of Orlando when he succeeded incumbent E. Frank Sperry upon his death on August 13, 1916.
In his 1919 bid for reelection, he was defeated by Eugene Duckworth. Later, in 1924, he became mayor again upon Duckworth's resignation from office due to a failed city commissioners recall election.
He was defeated in his bid for reelection again in 1925 by Latta Malette Autrey, but subsequently defeated Autrey in the next election in 1929. He did not run for another term in 1931, and was succeeded by Samuel Yulee Way.