Paul Schell

Paul Schell, born Paul Schlachtenhaufen on October 8, 1937, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, was the 54th mayor of Seattle, Washington. His four-year term as mayor began on January 1, 1998.

Schell first ran for mayor in 1977, but lost to Charles Royer. He then turned to real estate development, and finally won public office as a Port of Seattle commissioner in 1989, becoming president in 1995. He was also dean of the University of Washington School of Architecture and Urban Planning from 1992 to 1995.

Schell was mayor during the infamous WTO Meeting of 1999, for which he established a a 50-block "No-Protest Zone" of dubious legality. The conclusion by many in Seattle was that the WTO convention was not worth hosting due to the economic damage caused by the protests. Controversy over the city's response to the protests resulted in the resignation of Seattle police chief Norm Stamper, and arguably played a role in Schell's loss to Greg Nickels and Mark Sidran in the 2001 mayoral primary election.