John Palmer Gaillard Jr. (April 4, 1920 – July 28, 2006) was an American politician who was mayor of Charleston, South Carolina from 1959 to 1975.
During his tenure, Gaillard significantly expanded the size of Charleston by annexing nearby neighborhoods.
[2] In 1962, Gaillard took part in local efforts to change I-95's planned route further away from Florence and closer to Charleston.
In 1975, he was named Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve Affairs by President Gerald Ford.
[4][5] In 1977, Gaillard returned to Charleston and assumed the vice presidency of contracting firm Ruscon Corporation, a position he retained until his retirement in 1985.