Willie Hardy
| Willie Hardy | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 7 | |
|
In office January 2, 1975 – January 1, 1981 |
|
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | H. R. Crawford |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Willie White July 18, 1922 St. Louis, Missouri |
| Died | August 18, 2007 (aged 85) Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | DeSales Carter (1940s–1950), Lloyd Hardy (1954–1970) |
| Children | 7 |
| Committees | Public Safety, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, Housing and Economic Development, Finance and Revenue, and Judiciary |
Willie J. Hardy (July 18, 1922 – August 18, 2007) was a Democratic politician and activist in Washington, D.C. She was elected as one of the original members of the Council of the District of Columbia in 1974 when D.C. gained home rule. She represented Ward 7 on the council from 1975 to 1981.
Willie White was born in St. Louis to James and Willie V. White (née Dixon). The family moved to Deanwood in Washington, D.C., when she was five-years-old. White attended D.C. public schools. Growing up, her mother would collect used clothing in order to give it to the less fortunate, something that Hardy said inspired her to help people in need as an adult. Her mother also volunteered at a local school for children of color, teaching them sewing and canning.
She married DeSales Carter, a Navy seaman. They had three children. Carter died around 1950. In 1954, she married Lloyd Hardy, who worked as a taxi driver. They gave birth to three children and adopted one child.
In the 1950s, Hardy worked for the United States Department of the Treasury. She attended Atlantic Business School at night in order to qualify for a promotion. Hardy heard a radio appeal for volunteers to help on Hubert Humphrey's 1960 presidential campaign, and she was inspired to help.
Hardy resigned her position at the Department of the Treasury in order to devote all of her time to politics without running afoul of the Hatch Act. She served as the executive secretary for the inaugural committee for John F. Kennedy. In November 1961, she worked for the office of Senator Philip Hart.
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