Powell, Adam Clayton, Jr., 1908-1972

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1908-11-29
Death 1972-04-04
Gender:
Male
Americans
English

Biographical notes:

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (November 29, 1908 – April 4, 1972) was a Baptist pastor and an American politician, who represented the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in the United States House of Representatives from 1945 until 1971. He was the first African-American to be elected from New York to Congress.

Re-elected for nearly three decades, Powell became a powerful national politician of the Democratic Party, and served as a national spokesman on civil rights and social issues. He also urged United States presidents to support emerging nations in Africa and Asia as they gained independence after colonialism.

In 1961, after 16 years in the House, Powell became chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, the most powerful position held by an African American in Congress. As chairman, he supported the passage of important social and civil rights legislation under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Following allegations of corruption, in 1967 Powell was excluded from his seat by Democratic Representatives-elect of the 90th United States Congress, but he was re-elected and regained the seat in the 1969 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States in Powell v. McCormack. He lost his seat in 1970 to Charles Rangel and retired from electoral politics.

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Permalink:
http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6b960dp
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Subjects:

not available for this record

Occupations:

  • City Councilman
  • Civil rights leaders
  • Community Leader
  • Pastors
  • Representatives, U.S. Congress
  • Legislators

Places:

  • NY, US
  • 05, BS
  • NC, US
  • NY, US
  • Miami, FL, US
  • New Haven, CT, US
  • NY, US

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