Robert P. Linn, 95; Longest-Serving Mayor in Nation

Robert P. Linn, 95, recognized by the Guinness Book of Records nine years ago as the nation’s longest-serving mayor, died Saturday at his home in Beaver, Pa., of natural causes.

In his 15th term at the time of his death, Linn took office Jan. 2, 1946, when the head of Beaver town government was called a burgess rather than mayor.

Born in Burgettstown, Pa., Linn moved to Beaver, 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, as a 10-year-old. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Grove City College and first worked as a teacher in the Beaver Falls School District. But he disliked teaching, and soon switched to handling customer complaints for the local utility company -- good training for dealing with disgruntled constituents.

In 58 years on the job, the man described as “a nice mayor for a nice town” was rarely opposed for reelection and was little scarred by scandal. In one exception, he fired a police lieutenant for criticizing him. The officer was reinstated by the town’s Civil Service Commission.