John Andrew Singleton
| John Andrew Singleton | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 9th district |
|
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In office 1927–1928 |
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| Preceded by | Walter Richard Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Manasses McMillan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 30, 1895 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | August 1, 1970 (aged 75) Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Political party |
Republican later Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Daisy M Goring |
| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Occupation | Dentist |
| Religion | Episcopalian. |
John Andrew Singleton (July 30, 1895 - August 1, 1970) was a civil rights activist, dentist, and member of the Nebraska House of Representatives. He served as president of the Omaha, Nebraska and then the Jamaica, New York branches of the NAACP. He was an outspoken activist and received the nickname "the militant dentist" while living in Jamaica, New York.
Singleton was born July 30, 1895 in Omaha, Nebraska to Millard F. Singleton, brother of Walter J. Singleton, and Blanch Ellen (Braxton). M.F. Singleton was named a Justice of the Peace in Douglas County in 1885, two years after his arrival in Omaha. In 1896 he secured the Republican nomination for a state legislature seat, but lost the election. He continued to be active in political and social affairs over the next decades.
Singleton attended Omaha public schools and Omaha Central High School and was active in drama. He was a member of Omaha's Du Bois Dramatic Club where he starred in William Ward Russ's "The Strike, Or Under the Shadow of a Crime". He also sang the lead role of David as a tenor in the cantana, "David, the Shephard Boy". On October 2, 1917 he married Daisy M Goring who was born in the Virgin Islands. Along with his brother, Clarence, John was Dentist, receiving his DDS from Howard University in Washington DC and he also attended Creighton University for some period.
He moved from Omaha to Jamaica, NY in 1934 where he continued to work as a dentist. In 1949 he moved to the Virgin Islands on the recommendation of his doctor. He died August 1, 1970 in St Thomas, Virgin Islands at age 75 leaving a daughter and two sons
An early example of Singleton's interest in civic activity came when he joined the leadership of Roosevelt Post No. 30, American Legion, where he was chosen as a Liaison Officer in 1924. In 1926, he ran against Walter R Johnson and John J Berry for the ninth district of the Nebraska house of Representatives. Previous to that date he had also held the position of Deputy Register of Deeds of Douglas County and had been a delegate to the Republican County Central Committee in 1926. The election was very racially charge, with Republican Singleton claiming, "Democrats had never helped the colored race,", and in the final election he defeated Berry (1,495 votes to 1,131). Along with Ferdinand L. Barnett, he was one of two black men elected to the Nebraska House of Representatives that year. However, in 1928 he was defeated in the primary election by fellow Black Republican Aaron Manasses McMillan. He ran again in 1930, losing in the primary to E F Fogarty and to Johnny Owen in 1932.
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