Howard Golden

Howard Golden
Black and white photo, 1996
16th Brooklyn Borough President
In office January 3, 1977 – December 31, 2001
Preceded by	Sebastian Leone
Succeeded by	Marty Markowitz
Personal details
Born	1925 Flatbush, Brooklyn
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Aileen Wolsky
Residence	Borough Park, Brooklyn
Alma mater	New York University, Brooklyn Law School
Profession	Lawyer, Politician

Howard Golden (born 1925) was the long-time Democratic borough president of Brooklyn serving from 1977 to December 31, 2001.

Howard Golden was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn in 1925. His father ran a delicatessen. Howard grew up in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan and Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, and attended public schools. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School, New York University, and attended Brooklyn Law School on the G.I. Bill, graduating in 1958. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and was part of the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944.

Golden married Aileen Wolsky and has two daughters.

Prior to becoming Brooklyn Borough President, Golden served as City Councilman for the Borough Park section of Brooklyn for almost seven years.

In the November 1976 election, then Borough President Sebastian Leone was elected to the State Supreme Court. He resigned on December 31 to take the new position, and the City Council selected Howard Golden to serve as interim Borough President until the next election. Golden decided to run for the office outright, and in November 1977 he handily won a four-way race by a wide margin.

Golden became the Kings County Democratic Leader following the resignation of Meade Esposito in 1982, a position he then held for 8 years.

Throughout his long career Golden held various party positions, including Chairman of the Kings County Democratic County Committee, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Kings County Democratic Party, member of the New York State Democratic Committee and member of the Democratic National Committee. Golden served as Democratic District Leader in Borough Park from 1966 until 1989 when the revision of the New York City Charter forced him to give up his district and county leadership positions. Golden's Roosevelt Democratic Club was one of the powerhouse Democratic organizations in New York City for several decades and was the political home to numerous elected officials, commissioners and judges.