Frank Bogert | Palm Springs mayor, 99

Frank Bogert, 99, the crusty ex-cowboy and longtime mayor of Palm Springs, Calif., who helped turn the desert outpost into a glamorous destination for celebrities and tourists, died at his home last Sunday, according to city officials.

Mr. Bogert, who lived in Palm Springs for more than seven decades, served four terms as mayor, from 1958 to 1966 and 1982 to 1988. A legendary figure in a white cowboy hat and boots, he became a highly effective promoter of the desert town in the 1930s, when he began taking pictures of the celebrities who stayed at the El Mirador Hotel and sent them to newspapers across the country.

He was a friend of many old Hollywood stars, including Gene Autry, Bob Hope, and Lucille Ball, and knew several presidents, including Ronald Reagan. A master horseman, he led arduous trail rides well into his 90s.

He literally rode into town on a horse. The youngest of eight, he was born on a cattle ranch in Mesa, Colo. He came to California in 1927 to work at a stable. When the owner died a few years later, he left 60 horses to Mr. Bogert, who moved to Palm Springs and began offering trail rides for $1 an hour.

He also started working at the El Mirador, which had just opened. As publicist and later as general manager, he spread the word about Palm Springs as a playground for the rich and famous.

As mayor during much of the 1960s, Mr. Bogert presided over a period of rapid growth for the city 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

- Los Angeles Times