George Tiedeman (September 11, 1861 – June 30, 1935) was an American politician who served three terms as mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1907–1913).
Biography
Tiedeman was born on September 11, 1861, in Charleston, South Carolina, the son of Amelia (née Corby) and Otto Tiedeman His father had immigrated to South Carolina from Germany in 1840. His father worked as a grocer. He had two brothers and a sister. In 1887, he moved to Savannah to work at his brother Irvin's wholesale grocery business. He became politically active and served on the local Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trade, and president of the Georgia State Savings Association.
He won an election as an alderman and thereafter was elected to three terms as mayor. While mayor, he brought the American Grand Prix race to Savannah (1908 American Grand Prize, 1910 American Grand Prize, 1911 Vanderbilt Cup, and the 1911 American Grand Prize). A great believer in technology, he outfitted the city with electric street lights and motorized the fire department.
