Goode, W. Wilson (Woodrow Wilson), 1938-

Woodrow Wilson Goode Sr. (born August 19, 1938) is an American community activist and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 95th Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania- the first African American to hold the office- from 1984 to 1992.

Born near the town of Seaboard, North Carolina, Goode moved to Philadelphia with his family in 1954. After graduating from John Bartram High School, he earned a B.A. degree from Morgan State University and an M.P.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, Goode worked as a probation officer, a supervisor of a building maintenance firm, and an insurance claim adjuster. Goode’s first foray into politics came when he managed the unsuccessful mayoral campaign of State Representative Hardy Williams in 1971. In 1979 Goode was appointed to head the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and later, between 1980 and 1983, he served in Mayor William J. Green’s administration as Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia. As city manager Wilson Goode held neighborhood meetings to address city problems and brought fiscal efficiency by streamlining functions and operations in City Hall.

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