Louis J. Wilde
Louis J. Wilde (July 16, 1865 – April 18, 1924) was an American banker and Republican politician who served as the 17th mayor of San Diego from 1917 to 1921.
Wilde was born in Iowa City, Iowa, and lived in several cities before moving to San Diego in 1903. He planned to stay only for a winter, but he liked the city and stayed, getting involved in real estate and banking. In San Diego he helped start four banks, built the city’s first modern apartment building, helped complete the U. S. Grant Hotel, and in 1914 helped rename D Street to Broadway.
In the 1917 mayoral race, Wilde supported business growth, while his opponent George Marston pushed for more parks and city planning. Wilde used the slogan "More Smokestacks" and painted Marston as unfriendly to business. Wilde won and was re-elected in 1919. He was known for speaking frankly and with humor. In 1920, during a council meeting, he grabbed a gavel and scolded a councilman for berating a reporter, injuring his finger and leg; after that, he stopped regularly attending City Hall meetings.
In 1920 Wilde started the Community Oil Well Company to drill for oil in San Diego County, but no oil was found. A newspaper investigation raised questions about spending in the venture. He chose not to run for a third term in 1921 amid a cloud of scandal and moved to Los Angeles, where he died in 1924 at the age of 58.
Wilde had four children from two marriages: two with Mamie Shaffer and two with Frances O’Brien.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:52 (CET).