John A. Wilson (politician)
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| John A. Wilson | |
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| Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia | |
| In office 1991–1993 |
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| Preceded by | David A. Clarke |
| Succeeded by | David A. Clarke |
| Member of the Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 2 | |
| In office 1975–1991 |
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| Preceded by | none, position created |
| Succeeded by | Jack Evans |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 29, 1943 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Washington, D.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | politician |
John A. Wilson (September 29, 1943, Baltimore, Maryland – May 19, 1993, Washington, D.C.) was an American politician.
Politician
He grew up on the Eastern Shore.[1]
In the 1960s, Wilson was active in the civil rights movement, first with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and then with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).[2] He moved to Washington, D.C., as associate director of the National Sharecroppers Fund. He was also co-chaired the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee and was elected to represent D.C. on the Democratic National Committee in 1992.
Wilson served in 1974 as the chairman of the drive to approve the referendum to adopt the Home Rule Charter for the District of Columbia. The charter allowed residents for the first time to elect both a mayor and a 13-member city council called the Council of the District of Columbia. After approval of the charter in 1974, Wilson successfully ran for election to the council, representing Ward 2, which at that time was the most diverse ward in the city. He represented Ward 2 until he was sworn in as chairman of the council on January 2, 1991. He served as chairman until his death by suicide in 1993.
During Wilson's tenure as the Ward 2 council member, he chaired the Committee on Finance and Revenue and was widely acknowledged as an expert in municipal finances. His early warnings about government overspending proved prophetic, eventually leading the U.S. Congress to establish a financial control board to oversee the city's finances for a number of years.[3]
Wilson's legislative record includes controls on converting rental housing to condominiums, gun control, rent control, and expanded medical coverage for women and children. He wrote the District's tough anti-hate crimes laws as well as its human rights law, which is one of the most comprehensive in the country.[4]
Academia
During his council years, Wilson was a Harvard Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He also attended the Senior Executive Program for State and Local Government at Harvard University.
Legacy
The John A. Wilson Building was then named after him.
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Guide to the John A. Wilson papers, 1974-1993, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
| Council of the District of Columbia | ||
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| First | Ward 2 Member, Council of the District of Columbia 1975–1991 |
Succeeded by Jack Evans |
| Preceded by | Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia 1991–1993 |
Succeeded by David A. Clarke |
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Chairmen of the Council of the District of Columbia
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- African-American politicians
- Members of the Council of the District of Columbia
- 1943 births
- 1993 deaths
- John F. Kennedy School of Government staff
- Politicians from Baltimore, Maryland
- Suicides in Washington, D.C.
- American politicians who committed suicide
- 20th-century American politicians
- Washington, D.C. politician stubs
