Douglas Wilder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Douglas Wilder
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Wilder in 2003
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| 78th Mayor of Richmond | |
| In office January 2, 2005 – January 1, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Rudy McCollum |
| Succeeded by | Dwight Jones |
| 66th Governor of Virginia | |
| In office January 13, 1990 – January 15, 1994 |
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| Lieutenant | Don Beyer |
| Preceded by | Gerald Baliles |
| Succeeded by | George Allen |
| 35th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia | |
| In office January 18, 1986 – January 13, 1990 |
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| Governor | Gerald Baliles |
| Preceded by | Richard Davis |
| Succeeded by | Don Beyer |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 9th district |
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| In office January 12, 1972 – January 1, 1986 |
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| Preceded by | M. Patton Echols |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Lambert |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 30th district |
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| In office January 14, 1970 – January 12, 1972 |
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| Preceded by | J. Sargeant Reynolds |
| Succeeded by | Leroy S. Bendheim |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lawrence Douglas Wilder
January 17, 1931 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (1994) |
| Spouse |
Eunice Montgomery
(m. 1958; div. 1978) |
| Children | 3, including Larry |
| Education | Virginia Union University (BS) Howard University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1951–1953 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal |
Lawrence Douglas Wilder (born January 17, 1931) is an American lawyer and politician. He made history as the 66th governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. He was the very first African American to be elected governor of a U.S. state. He was also the first African American to serve as governor since the Reconstruction era after the Civil War.
Today, he is a professor at the Wilder School at Virginia Commonwealth University. Born in Richmond, Virginia, Wilder studied at Virginia Union University. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War. After law school, he started his own law practice in Richmond.
As a member of the Democratic Party, Wilder was elected to the Virginia Senate in 1969. He served there until 1986. Then, he became the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. This made him the first African American to hold a statewide office in Virginia. In 1989, Wilder won the election for governor. He narrowly defeated Republican Marshall Coleman.
Wilder could not run for governor again right away because of Virginia's rules. He briefly tried to become president in 1992 but stopped his campaign early. He also ran for the U.S. Senate as an independent in 1994, but later dropped out. In 2005, Wilder returned to politics. He became the first directly elected mayor of Richmond. After leaving office in 2009, he taught at a university. He also helped plan the United States National Slavery Museum, which was never built.
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Early Life and Military Service
Douglas Wilder was born on January 17, 1931. He grew up in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond. This area was segregated at the time, meaning Black and white people were kept separate. His parents were Beulah Olive (Richards) and Robert Judson Wilder. His grandparents had been enslaved in Goochland County. Douglas was the seventh of eight children. He was named after famous African-American writers Paul Laurence Dunbar and Frederick Douglass.
Wilder's father sold insurance, and his mother worked as a maid. Even though they were not rich, Wilder remembered his childhood during the Great Depression as "gentle poverty." The Great Depression was a time in the 1930s when many people lost their jobs and money.
Wilder worked hard to pay for his studies at Virginia Union University. This is a historically black university. He waited tables and shined shoes. He graduated in 1951 with a degree in chemistry.
After college, he was drafted into the United States Army. He served during the Korean War. He chose to volunteer for combat duty. During the Battle of Pork Chop Hill, he and two other soldiers were cut off from their group. They bravely tricked nineteen North Korean soldiers into giving up. For this, Wilder received the Bronze Star Medal. He was a sergeant when he left the army in 1953.
After the war, Wilder worked in a state office. He also started studying for a master's degree in chemistry. But in 1956, he decided to change his path. He enrolled in Howard University Law School. After finishing law school in 1959, he opened his own law practice in Richmond.
Wilder married Eunice Montgomery in 1958. They had three children: Lynn Diana, Lawrence Douglas Jr., and Loren Deane. They later divorced in 1978.
Starting a Political Career
Douglas Wilder joined the Democratic Party. He began his public service career in 1969. He won a by-election (a special election) for the Virginia State Senate. This made him the first African American elected to the Virginia Senate since the Reconstruction. In 1970, new district lines were drawn. Wilder's district became mostly African American. He became known as a liberal voice in a state legislature that was mostly conservative.
In 1985, Wilder was elected as the 35th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He ran on a Democratic ticket with Gerald L. Baliles, who was running for governor. Wilder was the first African American to win a statewide election in Virginia. To win, he traveled all over the state. He visited many rural areas to meet people and become better known.
Becoming Governor of Virginia
In the 1989 election for governor of Virginia, Wilder was ahead in the polls. But the election ended up being very close. Some people thought this was because of the "Bradley effect." This idea suggests that some voters might not tell pollsters their true voting plans. On November 8, 1989, Wilder won the election. He defeated Marshall Coleman by a very small margin. This close result led to a recount, which confirmed Wilder's victory.
Douglas Wilder was sworn in as governor on January 13, 1990. He was sworn in by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr.. His achievement as the first elected African-American governor was very important. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People gave him the Spingarn Medal in 1990.
During his time as governor, Wilder worked on several important issues. He focused on reducing crime and controlling guns. He also worked to improve Virginia's transportation system. He convinced Congress to send more highway money to states that needed it most. Many new homes and offices had been built in Northern Virginia. But there wasn't enough federal money for roads and other public services. He also helped pass state plans to fund transportation improvements. In May 1990, Wilder ordered state agencies and universities to stop investing in South Africa. This was because of its policy of apartheid, which was a system of racial segregation.
Wilder also tried to get the Washington Redskins football team to build a stadium in Alexandria, Virginia. He and the team owner, Jack Kent Cooke, had an agreement. But state lawmakers changed the plan to lower the cost for taxpayers. Because of these changes, the team owner pulled out of the deal.
Virginia law does not allow governors to serve two terms in a row. So, Wilder was followed by George Allen in 1994.
After Being Governor
Wilder briefly ran for President in 1991. However, he stopped his campaign before the main primary elections. He also ran for the U.S. Senate as an independent in 1994 but later withdrew.
Mayor of Richmond
On May 30, 2004, Wilder announced he would run for Mayor of Richmond. Before 2004, the Richmond City Council chose the mayor from its members. But in November 2003, voters approved a plan to directly elect the mayor. Wilder was a strong supporter of this change.
On November 2, 2004, Wilder won the election with 79% of the votes. He became the first directly elected mayor of Richmond in sixty years. When he won, Wilder said he wanted to fight political corruption in the city government. He was sworn in on January 2, 2005.
He was part of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition. This group works to make communities safer by removing illegal guns. On May 16, 2008, Wilder announced he would not run for mayor again.
Later Career and Public Service
Wilder continues to be a professor at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also writes articles for Virginia newspapers sometimes.
Douglas Wilder started the United States National Slavery Museum. This group aimed to build a national museum about slavery in America. It tried to raise money for many years but faced financial problems. The museum was never built.
In 2015, Wilder published his autobiography. It was called Son of Virginia: A Life in America's Political Arena.
In 2020, Wilder expressed concerns about his records as governor. He said the state archives at the Library of Virginia had not made his administration's records available.
In 2021, after Republican Glenn Youngkin was elected governor, Wilder joined his transition team. He worked with other former Republican governors like Jim Gilmore and George Allen.
Honors and Awards
- In 2004, Virginia Commonwealth University named its School of Government and Public Affairs after L. Douglas Wilder. Wilder teaches there.
- The Virginia Union University library, Norfolk State University's performing arts center, and a Hampton University dormitory are also named after Governor Wilder.
- Wilder received an Honorary Doctorate from Arizona State University in 2004.
- Virginia State University named its Cooperative Extension Building the L. Douglas Wilder Building.
- In 1996, L. Douglas Wilder Middle School was named in his honor.
- He received the Harold Washington Award from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in 1990.
- He received the Adam Clayton Powell Award from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in 1987.
Personal Papers
The L. Douglas Wilder Collection is kept at the L. Douglas Wilder Library and Learning Resource Center. This is at Wilder's old university, Virginia Union University. The collection includes photos from his time as governor. It also has over 600 audio tapes of his radio show and speeches. There are also over 350 video tapes of political events and news appearances. A special gallery in the library shows many of Wilder's political awards.
See also
