Francis Lewis Cardoza

Francis Lewis Cardozo
Francis Lewis Cardozo
Secretary of State of South Carolina
In office 1868–1872
Succeeded by	Henry E. Hayne
South Carolina state treasurer
In office August 1, 1872 – May 1, 1877
Personal details
Born	(1836-02-01)February 1, 1836 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Died	July 22, 1903(1903-07-22) (aged 67)
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Catherine Rowena Howell
Children	4 sons 2 daughters
Relatives	Eslanda Goode Robeson (granddaughter) Benjamin N. Cardozo (distant relative)
Alma mater	University of Glasgow
Profession	Clergyman, politician, educator
Religion	Christianity

Francis Lewis Cardozo (February 1, 1836 – July 22, 1903) was a clergyman, politician, and educator. He was the first African American to hold a statewide office in the United States. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina and died in Washington, D.C.

Francis Cardozo was born in Charleston as the son of Lydia Weston, a free woman of color, and Isaac Cardozo, a Sephardic Jewish man who worked at the federal customhouse. They had a common-law marriage, as state law prevented their marrying. Francis had a brother Thomas. His father encouraged the boys to attend schools for free blacks, the only ones in the city that would admit them. As a young man, Cardozo worked as a carpenter and a shipbuilder.

In 1858, Cardozo matriculated at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Later, he attended seminaries in Edinburgh and London. He was ordained a Presbyterian minister.

In 1864, Cardozo became pastor of the Temple Street Congregational Church in New Haven, Connecticut. He married Catherine Rowena Howell. They had six children, four sons and two daughters, both of whom died as infants.

In 1865, Cardozo returned to Charleston as an agent of the American Missionary Association. He succeeded his brother, Thomas, as superintendent of an American Missionary Association school. He developed this school into the Avery Normal Institute, one of the first free secondary schools for African Americans. It was established to train teachers, as freedmen sought education as one of their highest priorities. In the 21st century, the Avery Institute has been incorporated as part of the College of Charleston.