Ulysses Currie facts for kids

Ulysses Currie (born July 10, 1937 – died December 27, 2019) was an American politician from Maryland. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He represented District 25 in Prince George's County. First, he served in the House of Delegates from 1987 to 1995. Then, he served in the Senate from 1995 to 2019. Currie was the leader of the Budget and Taxation Committee. He later stepped down from this role due to an ethics issue.

Early Life and Education

Ulysses Currie grew up in Whiteville, North Carolina. His father was a sharecropper, which means he farmed land owned by someone else. Ulysses was the first person in his family to go to college. He earned his degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

After college, he joined the United States Army. He served from 1960 to 1963. During his time in the army, he was stationed at Fort Dix and also in Germany. After his military service, he moved to the Washington metropolitan area. There, he attended American University. For 25 years, Currie worked as a teacher. He taught in the Prince George's County Public Schools.

Becoming a Politician

Currie was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1986. He represented District 25 in Prince George's County. The House of Delegates is part of Maryland's state government. While in the House, he became the Majority Whip. This was the third-highest position in the House. It was after the Speaker and the Majority Leader.

In 1994, Currie was elected to the State Senate. The State Senate is the other part of Maryland's state government. He became a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee. This committee helps decide how the state spends its money.

Important Roles and Challenges

Ulysses Currie was a respected leader in the Maryland Senate. He led the Budget and Taxation Committee. This committee is very important. It reviews all the state's spending plans.

Later, some questions came up about his work as a consultant. These questions were about whether his outside work followed all the rules for politicians. In 2012, the state senate looked into these issues. They found that he had not followed all the rules. Because of this, he had to step down as the leader of the Budget and Taxation Committee.

Later Years

On June 1, 2018, a special honor was given to Senator Currie. The Maryland Head Start Program was renamed. It became the Ulysses Currie Head Start Program. Head Start helps young children from low-income families.

Ulysses Currie passed away on December 27, 2019. He was 84 years old.