James Leroy Usry (February 2, 1922 – January 25, 2002) was the first African-American Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
[1] Usry graduated from Atlantic City High School and earned a bachelor's degree in 1946 from Lincoln University.
From 1952 to 1984, Usry was an educator in the Atlantic City School District, where he served as assistant superintendent from 1977 to 1984.
On March 20, 1987, Usry was nominated by President Ronald Reagan for a two-year term on the National Advisory Council on Educational Research and Improvement.
[6] All major charges against Usry were dropped when he pleaded guilty to improper reporting of campaign contributions and agreed to perform 60 hours of community service with the Salvation Army.