Payne, Donald M. (Donald Milford), 1934-2012

PAYNE, Donald Milford, (father of Donald Payne, Jr.), a Representative from New Jersey; born in Newark, Essex County, N.J., July 16, 1934; graduated from Barringer High School, Newark, N.J., 1952; B.A., Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J., 1957; teacher; insurance executive; president, Young Men's Christian Association of the United States (YMCA), 1970-1973; member, Essex County, N.J., board of chosen freeholders, 1972-1978; unsuccessful candidate for nomination to the Ninety-seventh Congress in 1980; member of the Newark, N.J., Municipal Council, 1982-1988; chairman, Essex county Democratic committee, 2003-2004; unsuccessful candidate for nomination to the One Hundredth Congress in 1986; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred First and to the eleven succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1989-March 6, 2012); died on March 6, 2012, in Livingston, N.J.

<p>Donald Milford Payne (July 16, 1934 – March 6, 2012) was an American politician who was the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 10th congressional district from 1989 to 2012. He was a member of the Democratic Party. The district encompassed most of the city of Newark, parts of Jersey City and Elizabeth, and some suburban communities in Essex and Union counties.</p>

<p>Payne was born in Newark and was a 1952 graduate of Barringer High School. He did his undergraduate studies at Seton Hall University, graduating in 1957. After graduating he pursued post-graduate studies in Springfield College in Massachusetts. Before being elected to Congress in 1988, Payne was an executive at Prudential Financial, Vice President of Urban Data Systems Inc., and a teacher in the Newark Public Schools. In 1970, Payne became the first black president of the National Council of YMCAs. From 1973 to 1981 he was Chairman of the World Y.M.C.A. Refugee and Rehabilitation Committee.</p>

<p>Payne's political career began in 1972, when he was elected to the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, serving three terms.</p>

<p>In 1978, Payne ran against, and came in third to, Peter Shapiro in the June primary selecting the Democratic candidate for the first Essex County Executive, with Sheriff John F. Cryan coming in second.</p>

<p>In 1982, he was elected to the Newark Municipal Council and served three terms, resigning in 1988 shortly after his election to Congress.</p>

<p>Payne ran against U.S. Congressman Peter Rodino in the 1980 and 1986 Democratic primaries but lost both times. Rodino retired in 1988 after 40 years in Congress. Payne defeated fellow Municipal Councilman Ralph T. Grant Jr. in the Democratic primary, the real contest in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district. He was re-elected eleven times with no substantive opposition, never dropping below 75% of the vote.</p>

<p>Payne announced in a statement on February 10, 2012 that he was undergoing treatment for colon cancer. On March 2, 2012, it was reported that Payne had been flown from a hospital in Washington D.C. back to New Jersey via a medical transport plane, because he was "gravely ill". Payne died four days later, aged 77.</p>

<p>Donald M. Payne, the first African American to represent New Jersey in the U.S. Congress, pursued a domestic and foreign policy agenda during his 12 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. An experienced community activist and Newark elected official before his election to Congress, Payne delivered essential resources to his constituents while using his position to draw attention toward his legislative interests. “I want to be a congressman to serve as a model for the young people I talk to on the Newark street corners,” Payne said. “I want them to see there are no barriers to achievement. I want to give them a reason to try.”</p>

<p>Donald Milford Payne was born on July 16, 1934, in Newark, New Jersey, son of William Evander Payne, a dock worker, and Norma Garrett Payne. Payne, along with his brother William and sister Kathryn, grew up in Doodletown, an Italian-American section of Newark. Payne later recalled, “Everyone, whites and blacks, worked for low wages, although we didn’t think of it as living in poverty, and there was a real sense of neighborhood, of depending on one another.” As a teenager, Payne joined a group called “The Leaguers,” which sought to promote inner city youth by providing social, educational, and work activities. The founders, Reynold and Mary Burch, were prominent African Americans in Newark and helped Payne secure a four-year scholarship at Seton Hall University. Payne graduated in 1957 with a degree in social studies; and later pursued graduate studies at Springfield College in Massachusetts. On June 15, 1958, he married Hazel Johnson. The couple raised three children—Donald, Jr., Wanda, and Nicole—before Hazel died in 1963. Payne never remarried. He taught English and social studies and coached football in the Newark public schools before working for a major insurance company. He later served as vice president of a computer forms manufacturing company founded by his brother.</p>

<p>Payne became involved in politics at age 19 as manager of his brother’s successful campaign to serve as Newark’s first African-American district leader. He pursued community work through the local Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). From 1970 to 1973, Payne served as president of the YMCA of the United States—the first African American to hold that position. In 1972, he was elected to the Essex County board of freeholders. During his six years as a freeholder, he eventually chaired the board. In 1982, Payne won election to the city council of Newark.</p>