He was the mayor of Fort Dodge from 1960 to 1974.

But he was not out of public life for long after deciding not to seek re-election again. In 1975 he was named a district court judge and in 1988, he was named to the Iowa Court of Appeals. He retired in 1997 as chief judge of that court.

”Fort Dodge has been good to me,” Habhab told a group of about 30 people who honored him during a Thursday lunch at Olde Boston’s Restaurant & Pub.

”I’m only 96,” Habhab said. ”When I get a little older maybe I’ll slow down.”

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Don Decker, wearing his version of an ugly Christmas sweater, talks to former Gov. Terry Branstad and Jim Kersten Thursday before a lunch honoring Al Habhab at Olde Boston's Restaurant & Pub. Decker is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Decker Truck Line Inc. in Fort Dodge.

The guests included former Gov. Terry Branstad, who named Habhab to the Court of Appeals.

”I was proud to nominate him, and he had a very distinguished career serving Iowans on the Court of Appeals as he did serving as mayor,” Branstad said.

Habhab said he owes a debt of gratitude to Branstad for placing him on the Court of Appeals. He added that he was impressed that the former governor came to Fort Dodge for the lunch.

”I was impressed that the governor would give his time,” he said. ”He may no longer hold public office, but his concern and interest in the state of Iowa has never diminished.”

To date, Habhab has been the longest serving mayor with a tenure of 14 years. Current Mayor Matt Bemrich, who will have served 16 years when he completes his current term, is on track to pass him

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Al Habhab, the longest serving Fort Dodge mayor who went on to become the chief judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals, speaks Thursday during a lunch held in his honor at Olde Boston's Restaurant & Pub. About 30 people attended.

The former mayor said one of his most gratifying experiences was ”being a public servant for a number of years helping the growth of Fort Dodge.”

When he was mayor, the term of office was two years. At that time the mayor was part of a three member council that also included a public safety commissioner and a streets commissioner.

After the lunch, he said the current government set up with a mayor, a seven-member City Council and a professional city manager is better than the old three-member council.

”Fort Dodge needed a system of government to not only meet the challenges of the day, but was firmly in place to meet the needs of the future,” he said.

Serving as a judge brought different challenges to Habhab.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
State Rep. Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge, talks to former Gov. Terry Branstad Thursday before a lunch honoring Al Habhab, a former Fort Dodge mayor and former chief judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals.

”Being a part of the judiciary was not only a gratifying experience, but it was a learning process when confronted with specific legal problems,” he said. ”Every case that came to my desk was important.”

”I was also given the opportunity of working with men and women in resolving an endless line of disputed cases,” he added.

He said he was proud to retire as chief judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals.

”I also owe a big thank you to the other members of the court for selecting me as their chief judge,” he said.

Habhab thanked Judge Rosemary Sackett for supporting him for chief judge even though she had more tenure on the Court of Appeals bench.

Thursday’s lunch honoring Habhab was organized by Jim Kersten, of Fort Dodge.