Ben Douglas, Sr. (1884-1981)was mayor of Charlotte from 1935 to 1941. He came to Charlotte in 1926 and became a partner in the Douglas and Sing Mortuary and was later founder and owner of Douglas Furs in Charlotte.

During his political career in Charlotte Ben Douglas was involved in the planning and building of Charlotte Memorial Hospital (now Carolinas Medical Center). He was instrumental in the building of Charlotte's Douglas Municipal Airport, which bears his name. He led in the planning and building of Independence Boulevard, Memorial Stadium, and Charlotte's first public housing. The housing was built beginning in the 1940s. The Charlotte Housing Authority built Piedmont Courts for white families and Fairview Homes for black families.