John F. Shelley

John F. Shelley
Shelley c. 1964
35th Mayor of San Francisco
In office
January 8, 1964  January 8, 1968
Preceded byGeorge Christopher
Succeeded byJoseph Alioto
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 5th district
In office
November 8, 1949  January 7, 1964
Preceded byRichard J. Welch
Succeeded byPhillip Burton
President of the
California Labor Federation
In office
1947–1950
Preceded byCharles W. Real
Succeeded byThomas L. Pitts
Member of the California Senate
from the 14th district
In office
January 2, 1939 - January 6, 1947
Preceded byWalter McGovern
Succeeded byGerald J. O'Gara
Personal details
Born
John Francis Shelley

(1905-09-03)September 3, 1905
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 1, 1974(1974-09-01) (aged 68)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseGenevieve Giles
Children2
EducationUniversity of San Francisco
Military service
Branch/service United States Coast Guard
Battles/warsWorld War II

John Francis Shelley (September 3, 1905 – September 1, 1974) was an American politician who served as the 35th mayor of San Francisco from 1964 to 1968, the first Democrat elected to the office in 50 years, and the first in an unbroken line of Democratic mayors that lasts to the present (as of 2025). His tenure in the United States House of Representatives, immediately prior to his mayoralty (1949-1964), also broke a long streak of Republican House members (44 years) and began a streak of Democratic representatives from San Francisco (and, coincidentally, the 5th district) that continues to the present (as of 2025).