S. Howard Woodson
Encyclopedia
Samuel Howard Woodson, Jr. (May 8, 1916 – July 28, 1999) was an American
pastor, civil rights leader, and Democratic Party
politician
from New Jersey
. He was the first African American
to serve as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
.
degree in education from Cheyney Training School for Teachers (now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
). In 1940 he became the first graduate student to matriculate into the School of Divinity at Morehouse College
in Atlanta. While there he served as an assistant to the pastor of the Wheat Street Baptist Church. He received a B.D.
degree from Morehouse, the first graduate degree ever offered at the school. He continued postgraduate work in sociology
at Atlanta University
.
Woodson was ordained as a minister in 1941 and was called as pastor of the Grace Temple Baptist Church in Lawnside, New Jersey
in 1944. He moved to Trenton, New Jersey
in 1946, serving as pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church, where he would remain for 53 years.
In Trenton Woodson was active in the civil rights movement as President of the local branch of the NAACP
. In 1960 he was elected President of the State Conference of the NAACP. He persuaded Gov. Richard J. Hughes
to convene a summit to address the need for minority home ownership, leading to progressive housing legislation prohibiting the practice of blockbusting
by banks seeking to deny mortgages to minority applicants.
Woodson was elected to the Trenton City Council in 1962, the first African American elected to office in Mercer County, New Jersey
. In 1963 he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly
, where he would serve for thirteen consecutive years. Woodson was minority leader in 1968-1969 and associate leader for the 1972 session.
At the start of the Assembly session in 1972, Democratic leadership had wanted to name Woodson as Speaker, until Assemblyman David Friedland
made a deal as one of four Democrats who voted to give the minority Republicans control of the General Assembly, electing Thomas Kean
as Assembly Speaker. Woodson would have been the Assembly's first African American
Speaker, and charges of racism were leveled by fellow Democrats against Friedland.
When Democrats gained control of the Assembly in 1974, Woodson was chosen as speaker, making him the first African American to hold a state house speakership
since Reconstruction.
Woodson resigned from the Assembly in 1976 when Gov. Brendan Byrne
appointed him president of the New Jersey Civil Service Commission (later known as the Merit Review Board), a position he held until 1982. In 1978 Woodson admitted that he had not filed state or federal income tax returns for the previous two years. Woodson was ordered by Byrne to take an unpaid leave of absence while the matter was being investigated, but it was discovered that he did not owe any back taxes and was in fact due a refund.
In 1990, Gov. James Florio
appointed Woodson to serve as Director of the Division of Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA). He retired from the position in 1994.
Woodson died in 1999 at a hospital in Trenton at the age of 83.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pastor, civil rights leader, and Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He was the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to serve as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
.
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, Woodson attended public schools there and received a B.S.Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in education from Cheyney Training School for Teachers (now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a public, co-educational historically black university that is a part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Cheyney University has a campus that is located in the Cheyney community within Thornbury Township, Chester County and Thornbury...
). In 1940 he became the first graduate student to matriculate into the School of Divinity at Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
in Atlanta. While there he served as an assistant to the pastor of the Wheat Street Baptist Church. He received a B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
degree from Morehouse, the first graduate degree ever offered at the school. He continued postgraduate work in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University...
.
Woodson was ordained as a minister in 1941 and was called as pastor of the Grace Temple Baptist Church in Lawnside, New Jersey
Lawnside, New Jersey
Lawnside is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 2,945.The land that became Lawnside was purchased by Abolitionists for freed and escaped slaves, as well as other African Americans, in 1840.On April 20, 1926, an...
in 1944. He moved to Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
in 1946, serving as pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church, where he would remain for 53 years.
In Trenton Woodson was active in the civil rights movement as President of the local branch of the NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
. In 1960 he was elected President of the State Conference of the NAACP. He persuaded Gov. Richard J. Hughes
Richard J. Hughes
Richard Joseph Hughes was an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 45th Governor of New Jersey from 1962 to 1970, and as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1973–1979...
to convene a summit to address the need for minority home ownership, leading to progressive housing legislation prohibiting the practice of blockbusting
Blockbusting
Blockbusting is a business practice of U.S. real estate agents and building developers meant to encourage white property owners to sell their houses at a loss, by implying that racial, ethnic, or religious minorities — Blacks, Hispanics, Jews et al. — were moving into their previously racially...
by banks seeking to deny mortgages to minority applicants.
Woodson was elected to the Trenton City Council in 1962, the first African American elected to office in Mercer County, New Jersey
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
. In 1963 he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
, where he would serve for thirteen consecutive years. Woodson was minority leader in 1968-1969 and associate leader for the 1972 session.
At the start of the Assembly session in 1972, Democratic leadership had wanted to name Woodson as Speaker, until Assemblyman David Friedland
David Friedland
David J. Friedland is an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician from Hudson County, New Jersey who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature, serving in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1966 to 1974 and then was elected to the Senate, serving from 1978 until his conviction...
made a deal as one of four Democrats who voted to give the minority Republicans control of the General Assembly, electing Thomas Kean
Thomas Kean
Thomas Howard Kean is an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the...
as Assembly Speaker. Woodson would have been the Assembly's first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Speaker, and charges of racism were leveled by fellow Democrats against Friedland.
When Democrats gained control of the Assembly in 1974, Woodson was chosen as speaker, making him the first African American to hold a state house speakership
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
since Reconstruction.
Woodson resigned from the Assembly in 1976 when Gov. Brendan Byrne
Brendan Byrne
Brendan Thomas Byrne is an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey, who served as the 47th Governor of New Jersey, from 1974 to 1982.-Early life and education:...
appointed him president of the New Jersey Civil Service Commission (later known as the Merit Review Board), a position he held until 1982. In 1978 Woodson admitted that he had not filed state or federal income tax returns for the previous two years. Woodson was ordered by Byrne to take an unpaid leave of absence while the matter was being investigated, but it was discovered that he did not owe any back taxes and was in fact due a refund.
In 1990, Gov. James Florio
James Florio
James Joseph "Jim" Florio is a Democratic politician who served as the 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994, the first Italian American to hold the position...
appointed Woodson to serve as Director of the Division of Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA). He retired from the position in 1994.
Woodson died in 1999 at a hospital in Trenton at the age of 83.
External links
- Biographical information for S. Howard Woodson, Jr. from The Political GraveyardThe Political GraveyardThe Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...