Walter E. Washington
| Walter Washington | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st Mayor of the District of Columbia | |
|
In office January 2, 1975 – January 2, 1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Himself (Mayor-Commissioner) |
| Succeeded by | Marion Barry |
| Mayor-Commissioner of the District of Columbia | |
|
In office November 7, 1967 – January 2, 1975 |
|
| President |
Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Walter Nathan Tobriner (President of the Board of Commissioners) |
| Succeeded by | Himself (Mayor) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Walter Edward Washington April 15, 1915 Dawson, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | October 27, 2003 (aged 88) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Bennetta Bullock (1942–1991) Mary Burke (1994–2003) |
| Children | Bennetta (with Bullock) |
| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Religion | Baptist |
Walter Edward Washington (April 15, 1915 – October 27, 2003) was an American civil servant and politician. After a career in public housing in Washington, DC and New York City, he was appointed as chief executive of Washington, D.C. in 1967. He served as the first and only Mayor-Commissioner from 1967 to 1974. He was the last mayor of Washington to be appointed by the President.
Congress had passed a law granting home-rule to the capital, while reserving some authorities. In 1974 Washington was elected as the first mayor of the District of Columbia, serving from 1975 to 1979.
Washington was the great-grandson of enslaved Americans. He was born in Dawson, Georgia. His family moved North in the Great Migration, and Washington was raised in Jamestown, New York, attending public schools. He earned a bachelor's degree from Howard University and a law degree from Howard University School of Law. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Washington married Bennetta Bullock, an educator. They had one daughter together, Bennetta Jules-Rosette, who became a sociologist. His wife Bennetta Washington became a director of the Women's Job Corps, and First Lady of Washington, D.C. when he was mayor. She died in 1991.
After graduating from Howard in 1948, Washington was hired as a supervisor for D.C.'s Alley Dwelling Authority. He worked for the authority until 1961, when he was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as the Executive Director of the National Capital Housing Authority. This was the housing department of the District of Columbia, which was then administered by Congress. In 1966 Washington moved to New York City to head the much larger Housing Authority there in the administration of Mayor John Lindsay.
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