Stephen Ray "Steve" Hettinger, born on August 25, 1945, is an American politician renowned for his tenure as mayor of Huntsville, Alabama, spanning from 1988 to 1996. Notably, during his mayoral stint, Hettinger played a pivotal role in spearheading the city's recovery efforts following the devastating Huntsville Tornado of 1989. Hettinger, born in Memphis, Tennessee, on August 25, 1945, commenced his journey toward leadership after earning a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Mississippi State University in 1967. Subsequently, he relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, where he delved into the space program while pursuing a Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, graduating in 1974. In 1982, Hettinger made waves in the political arena by clinching a seat in the Alabama House of Representatives, triumphing over an incumbent. His trajectory took a significant turn in 1988 when he secured victory in the mayoral race of Huntsville, defeating the five-term incumbent, Mayor Joe Davis. During his mayoral tenure, Hettinger made headlines in June 1990 by appealing to President George H. W. Bush to reinstate the United States citizenship of Arthur Rudolph, a former Nazi and NASA scientist brought to the country under Operation Paperclip. However, the appeal was unsuccessful. In 1995, Hettinger opted not to pursue a third term in the 1996 mayoral election. While contemplating a Democratic bid for the United States Senate seat vacated by Howell Heflin, he ultimately decided against it, as the primary candidacy was secured by Roger Bedford, Jr., and the eventual victory went to Republican Jeff Sessions. Post his mayoral stint, Hettinger redirected his efforts to the private sector, co-founding an engineering firm.