George Carroll (January 6, 1922 – January 14, 2016) was an American lawyer who was an important civic figure in
Contra Costa County, California
) of the San Francisco Bay
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1 = State
, subdivision_name1 = California
, subdivision_type2 ...
, and the city of
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
.
[Richmond courthouse named for retired judge George Carroll](_blank)
contracostatimes.com, February 24, 2009; accessed January 17, 2016.
Biography
Carroll was born on January 6, 1922, in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
.
Later he served in the
United States Military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and subsequently attended college and law school by use of the
G.I. Bill
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...
. He relocated to
Contra Costa County, California
) of the San Francisco Bay
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1 = State
, subdivision_name1 = California
, subdivision_type2 ...
, in 1954.
He was the first black lawyer in
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
, California.
In 1961 Carroll became the first African American elected to the city council (1961–1964)
[Richmond's Black History Corner](_blank)
city of Richmond, California website; accessdate January 17, 2016. and later became the first black mayor of Richmond (1964–65)
or any large American city.
Afterwards George Carroll became the first black judge in Contra Costa when he was appointed to the Bay Municipal Court by Governor
Pat Brown
Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown (April 21, 1905 – February 16, 1996) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 32nd governor of California from 1959 to 1967. His first elected office was as district attorney for San Francisco, and he w ...
in 1965.
Legacy
The Richmond Courthouse and a park in the
Pt. Richmond District are named in his honor.
[Parks and park facilities](_blank)
city of Richmond website, accessdate January 17, 2016.
Death
Carroll died in his sleep on January 14, 2016, in
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 7, 1905, and has a Richmond, California City Council, city council. , at the age of 94.
Richmond's first black mayor George Carroll dies at 94
, richmondstandard.com; accessed January 17, 2016.
References
External links
Black History of Richmond
African-American judges
American judges
Mayors of Richmond, California
1922 births
2016 deaths
African-American mayors in California
Richmond City Council members (California)
California city council members
People from Brooklyn
American military personnel of World War II
20th-century African-American politicians
African-American men in politics
20th-century American politicians
Military personnel from New York City
20th-century American judges
African Americans in World War II
21st-century African-American people
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