Hazle Reid Crawford (January 18, 1939 – February 10, 2017) was an American real estate developer and Democratic politician in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Early life

Crawford was born in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

, on January 18, 1939.H. R. Crawford Ousted from Post at HUD
. ''Atlanta Daily World''. January 30, 1976. p. 3. His family moved to Sheridan-Kalorama, Washington, D.C., when he was three years old.Camp, Patricia.
Crawford Manages: Ex-HUD Official Runs Apartment Empire And Looks Back on His Stormy Career H. R. Crawford Bounces Back From His Downfall at HUD
. ''The Washington Post''. December 31, 1977. p. B1. After five years, the family moved to

Near Northeast, Washington, D.C. Near Northeast is a neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by North Capitol Street to the west, Florida Avenue to the north, F Street to the south, and 15th Street to the east. History Early history It is believed that the ...

His father worked for the federal government and also ran the

rooming house A rooming house, also called a "multi-tenant house", is a "dwelling with multiple rooms rented out individually", in which the tenants share kitchen and often bathroom facilities. Rooming houses are often used as housing for low-income people, as ...

in which he grew up, and his mother worked as a housekeeper for a wealthy white family. He has said that being exposed to his mother's employer's richer and more cultured lifestyle motivated him to succeed. Crawford graduated from Cardozo High School in 1957. He served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

from 1957 to 1965. He attended

District of Columbia Teachers College The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is a public historically black land-grant university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1851 and is the only public university in the city. UDC is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall C ...

and

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

Real estate profession

In 1962, Crawford started working as the property manager of Anacostia Gardens Apartments in

Fort Dupont Fort DuPont, named in honor of Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont, is located between the original Delaware City and the modern Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on the original Reeden Point tract, which was granted to Henry Ward in 1675. Along w ...

. By 1965, he was managing the Congress Park Apartments in

Congress Heights Congress Heights is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., in the United States. The irregularly shaped neighborhood is bounded by the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus, Lebaum Street SE, 4th Street SE, and Newcomb Street SE on ...

. He carried a gun to protect himself in Congress Heights. He quit the job when a perpetrator raped a 22-year-old woman on the property. Polinger Company hired Crawford to manage the newly built Park Southern apartment complex in Washington Highlands. In 1968, Crawford joined the

board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

of a construction and management firm, Polinger Company. In 1969, he was named

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

of the newly formed Polinger-Crawford Corporation. Crawford was awarded a Certified Property Manager designation by the

Institute of Real Estate Management An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes can ...

in 1969, becoming one of seven Certified Property Managers who is black. By 1970, he was a consultant for Urban Rehabilitation Corporation,

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of Anacostia Citizens and Merchants, Inc.,

of the Sixth District Police–Citizens Advisory Council,

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

of Congress Heights Association for Service and Education, member of the Mayor's Juvenile Delinquency Committee, and a member of the

board of trustees A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

of the Junior Citizens Corporation.While House Cites Crawford
. ''The Washington Post''. October 24, 1970. p. D9. The Washington chapter of the

formed a Mayor's Advisory Committee, and it named Crawford a member of the committee. When the

Council of the District of Columbia The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia, the capital of the United States. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the district is not part of any U.S. state ...

proposed regulations intended to address the severe housing crisis, Crawford was part of a task force to study the potential effect of the proposed regulations. Crawford received a Presidential commendation "in recognition of exceptional service to others" in 1970. In 1971, Crawford was involved in building a 400-unit residential complex in

Shaw Shaw may refer to: Places Australia *Shaw, Queensland Canada *Shaw Street, a street in Toronto England *Shaw, Berkshire, a village *Shaw, Greater Manchester, a location in the parish of Shaw and Crompton *Shaw, Swindon, a List of United Kingdom ...

. During the same year, he formed H.R. Crawford, Inc., which would manage a newly built 1,200-unit residential complex in

Edgewood Edgewood may refer to: Places Canada *Edgewood, British Columbia South Africa *Edgewood, a University of KwaZulu-Natal campus in Pinetown, South Africa United States Cities and towns *Edgewood, California *Edgewood, Florida *Edgewood, Illinois, a ...

.New Firm
. ''The Washington Post''. December 11, 1971. p. D8. Crawford served as

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

and

board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ty ...

of the company. Crawford described his

property management Property management is the operation, control, maintenance, and oversight of real estate and physical property. This can include residential, commercial, and land real estate. Management indicates the need for real estate to be cared for and monit ...

style as a "law and order attitude".Medsger, Betsy.
Law and Order Apartment Manager Being Considered for Housing Post
. ''The Washington Post''. January 9, 1973. p. A10. Some tenants of the properties he managed were critical of his management style and said that the properties were not well maintained.

Community activism

Crawford served as chairman of the Congress Heights Neighborhood Planning Council. He conceived of and led a summer enrichment program to bring children from Southeast D.C. to meet prosperous Black families in

Glenarden, Maryland Glenarden is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 6,402. History Glenarden was developed in 1919, when W. R. Smith purchased a group of properties approximately 10 miles east of Wash ...

. When residents of Congress Heights opposed the building of a 730-unit apartment complex, Crawford advocated in favor of the complex, saying that few developers want to invest in the neighborhood and that residents should appreciate a developer who decides to do so.

Early political ambitions

In 1971, Crawford sought to be appointed to the City Council.Prince, Richard E.
Nixon to Rename Yeldell to Council
. ''The Washington Post''. April 14, 1971. p. A1.

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

decided to appoint Joseph P. Yedell and Margaret A. Haywood to the City Council instead. Crawford again sought the appointment in 1972 after Yedell decided to resign from his post in order to become the District's human resources director. President Nixon appointed Tedson J. Meyers to the City Council instead.

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Nomination and confirmation hearings

On March 7, 1973, Crawford was nominated by President

to be Assistant Secretary for Housing Management at the

Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the Secretary of Housing and Urb ...

.Nixon Names Black to High H.U.D. Post
. ''The New York Times''. March 8, 1973. p. 18. Accessed on August 1, 2008.

Delegate Delegate or delegates may refer to: * Delegate, New South Wales, a town in Australia * Delegate (CLI), a computer programming technique * Delegate (American politics), a representative in any of various political organizations * Delegate (United ...

Walter E. Fauntroy Walter Edward Fauntroy (born February 6, 1933) is an American pastor, civil rights activist, and politician who was a delegate to the United States House of Representatives and a candidate for the 1972 and 1976 Democratic presidential nominations ...

and D.C. School Board President

Marion Barry Marion Shepilov Barry (born Marion Barry Jr.; March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2014) was an American politician who served as the second and fourth mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democrat, Barry had served ...

both praised Crawford's appointment. The National Tenants Organization opposed Crawford's appointment,Nixon HUD choice is controversial
. ''The Afro-American''. March 17, 1973: 1. saying that Crawford "lacks the skill to deal with complex problems, whose oversimplifications and crude responses deny the possibility of mutual cooperation, and whose understanding of the problems is limited." During Crawford's confirmation hearings before the

United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (formerly the Committee on Banking and Currency), also known as the Senate Banking Committee, has jurisdiction over matters related to banks and banking, price controls, ...

, he said that public housing is "too paternalistic and too permissive".Meyer, Eugene L.
Black Nominee for HUD Backed
. ''The Washington Post''. March 14, 1973. p. C3. He said he wanted to give public housing residents the motivation to improve themselves so they can move out of public housing. The Senate Committee recommended Crawford be confirmed, and the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

voted to

confirm In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an wikt:affirmation, affirma ...

Crawford on March 14, 1973. Crawford was the highest ranking black staff member in the

Nixon administration Richard Nixon's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 37th president of the United States began with First inauguration of Richard Nixon, his first inauguration on January 20, 1969, and ended when he resigned on August 9, 1974 ...

. In the position, Crawford was in charge of all public-housing units and federally assisted housing in the nation.

Live-ins

On Crawford's first full day in the position, April 2, 1973, he told twenty of his division managers that they would spend an entire weekend at a public housing development in Washington, D.C.Levy, Claudia.
HUD Officials Plan Southeast 'Live-In'
. ''The Washington Post''. April 3, 1973. p. C1. They would sleep in vacant apartments in the buildings. Crawford said he wanted each of them "to have first-hand knowledge of how to cope and exist with inner city properties." With help from the National Capital Housing Authority, Crawford planned to have the staff members stay in vacant apartments in the Frederick Douglas Dwelling development at 21st Street and Alabama Avenue SE. After a delay caused by emergencies related to flooding in parts of the country,Levy, Claudia.
Official at HUD Cancels Public Housing 'Live-In'
. ''The Washington Post''. April 6, 1973. p. C1. the one-day one-night trip to the Frederick Douglas Dwelling took place at the end of May 1973.HUD Workers Live A Day In Project
. ''Baltimore Afro-American''. May 26, 1973. p. 19. During the trip, the staff members met with Thelma N. Jones, chair of a tenant advocate group in the neighborhood. Jones stressed that a minority of public housing tenants has scared the majority of tenants through vandalism and other crimes, leaving them with no option but to move to another public housing unit. Jones called on the officials to get tougher on the tenants who commit crimes in the public housing developments. The next year, Crawford instructed another 51 staff members to take similar overnight trips.

Tenure

Crawford reinstated a subsidy program through the

Federal Housing Administration The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), also known as the Office of Housing within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is a United States government agency founded by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, created in part ...

that could make federally owned vacant homes available to people with low incomes.Saar, John.
HUD Eyes Use for Its Houses: HUD Official Seeks Use for Its Houses
. ''The Washington Post''. July 5, 1973. p. E1. He also had some of the federally owned vacant homes sold to local governments in order to be converted into public housing.Wolhowe, Cathe.
HUD Frees Homes For City Projects
. ''The Washington Post''. February 16, 1974. p. C1. Crawford instituted a training program in property management intended to train housing project managers.Lippman, Thomas W.
HUD to Train Project Heads
. ''The Washington Post''. March 21, 1974. p. C9. Topics included reading a lease, tenant relations, janitorial services, maintenance services, and operating an on-site office.Program To Train Resident Managers Of Housing Units
. ''Atlanta Daily World''. March 28, 1974. p. 10. The Institute of Real Estate Management designed the training program. When Columbia Heights public housing development Clifton Terrace had issued with vandalism and unpaid rent, the Department of Housing and Urban Development accepted bids for a new property management company.Lippman, Thomas W.
Pride, Inc., to Manage Clifton Terrace Project: Pride Is Picked to Manage Clifton Terrace Apartments
. ''The Washington Post''. April 1, 1974. p. A1. Crawford instructed the department to contract with Pride, Inc., which had the highest bid out of all seven bids.Lippman, Thomas W.
Pride, Inc., to Manage Clifton Terrace Project
. ''The Washington Post''. April 8, 1974. p. A1. Pride, Inc., was led by

's ex-wife Mary Treadwell Barry. In 1974, Crawford allocated $100 million for repairs and security improvements to public housing developments in the United States. In 1975, Crawford testified to a government operations subcommittee of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

.Krause, Charles A.
No Fast Solution Seen To HUD Housing Woes
. ''The Washington Post''. September 27, 1975. p. A2. The testimony was in regards to a report by the

General Accounting Office The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a legislative branch government agency that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the supreme audit institution of the federal govern ...

that the Department of Housing and Urban Development was unable to effectively administer its public housing. Crawford did not dispute reports that his department did not collect rents, keeps apartments vacant, does not maintain properties properly, and manages the properties inefficiently. Crawford attributed these deficiencies on the

United States federal civil service The United States federal civil service is the civilian workforce (i.e., non-elected and non-military public sector employees) of the United States federal government's departments and agencies. The federal civil service was established in 1871 ( ...

, courts delaying evictions due to nonpayment of rent, and Congressional intervention in the firing of an incompetent government employee. Crawford said these problems would inevitably continue for a long time.

Resignation

Crawford intended to resign his position at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in April 1975.Ford fires top HUD aide
. ''The Baltimore Sun''. January 29, 1976. p. A1. Instead, Crawford immediately resigned from the position on January 27, 1976, when President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

asked for his resignation because of a Department of Justice investigation into a possible

conflict of interest A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates to situations i ...

. Crawford had been discussing possible consulting jobs for himself after he planned to leave the Department of Housing and Urban Development in April 1975.Krause, Charles A.
Crawford Was Job-Hunting: Top HUD Official Was Job-Hunting Before His Resignation
. ''The Washington Post''. February 6, 1976. p. A1. He had negotiations with three different public housing authorities that also received federal funding from Crawford's office. The department's

general counsel A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department. In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...

said it is illegal for a federal employee who is considering resignation to "solicit, negotiate or arrange for private employment when you are acting on behalf of HUD in a matter in which your prospective employer has a financial interest in the form of a contract, loan or grant or otherwise." When one of these public housing authorities, the

New York City Housing Authority The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is a public development corporation which provides public housing in New York City, and is the largest public housing authority in North America. Created in 1934 as the first agency of its kind in the U ...

, received a written job solicitation from Crawford, it sent it the Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine whether it was proper of Crawford to do so.Crawford Talks Denied
. ''The Washington Post''. February 8, 1976. p. 13. Looking back several months later, Crawford called it a mistake in judgment.Krause, Charles A.
Crawford: Poor Judgment Cost HUD Job: 'Episode Embedded in My Mind and My Life'
. ''The Washington Post''. December 1, 1976. p. A23. The

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

cleared Crawford of engaging in illegal acts. The Department of Justice said it did not deal with impropriety.

Return to property management

After leaving the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Crawford returned to property management. He was an executive for the company managing Columbia Heights Village. He was involved in the Washington Apartment in

, the Kenesaw in Mount Pleasant, and Trinity Towers Apartment in Columbia Heights. In 1978, Crawford bought several dozen houses and apartments in

in order to renovate them with loans from the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

.Camp, Patricia.
Group Plans to Renovate City Houses for the Poor: Group to Renovate Houses for Poor
. ''The Washington Post''. March 18, 1978. p. B1. His intention was to either rent them or sell them to people of modest means.

Council of the District of Columbia

On April 19, 1978, Crawford announced he would run for

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

member of the

as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

.Eisen, Jack.
Five More Candidates Announce Plans to Seek Council Seats: Campaign 78
. ''The Washington Post''. April 20, 1978. p. DC2. A group of elderly residents of the Edgewood Terrace Apartments were taken to Crawford's announcement ceremony in a bus owned by the District of Columbia Department of Recreation. When asked about campaign use of a government-owned vehicle, Crawford said he knew nothing about it. Crawford campaigned on reducing the cost of government, reducing crime, improving education, and reducing taxes. His candidacy was endorsed by the Metropolitan Washington Board of Trade's political action committee.Bredemeier, Kenneth.
Board of Trade Group Backs Dixon, Crawford
. ''The Washington Post''. July 25, 1978. p. B1. When Crawford was late arriving to a candidates' forum, he blamed it on his car running over a black cat.Eisen, Jack.
Council Candidate Insists Remark Not Intended as Bigotry
. ''The Washington Post''. August 19, 1978. p. B5. He said, "I'm more upset tonight than I was a long time ago when an elderly white gentleman ran into the back of my car and was killed." Asked about his comments later, Crawford later insisted his comments "were certainly not intended to be bigotry" and instead related to the superstition about black cats. He said he does "preach black pride, black independence". Opposing candidate

Betty Ann Kane Betty Ann Kane is a former American politician who served as an at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991. Kane later served as a commissioner on the District of Columbia Public Service Commission. Kane was a no ...

said that, if Crawford were elected, he would have many conflicts of interest because of his interests in government-financed housing developments and campaign donations from real estate developers.Eisen, Jack.
9 Candidates Criss-Cross City Chasing At-Large Council Seat
. ''The Washington Post''. August 23, 1978. p. B2. Crawford said he had never had a conflict of interest and that he would never have had a conflict of interest if elected. Crawford lost the Democratic Party primary election to Betty Ann Kane. Crawford was elected as Ward 7 member of the

in 1980 and served three terms.

Later years

Crawford was president of the real estate firm Crawford Edgewood Managers and chaired the board of directors of the

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is an independent airport authority, created with the consent of the United States Congress to oversee management, operations, and capital development of the two major airports serving the U.S ...

. Crawford was diagnosed with

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

around 1997.Davis, Aaron C.; Langer, Aaron.
H.R. Crawford, former D.C. Council member and real estate developer, dies at 78
. ''The Washington Post''. February 10, 2017. Crawford died on February 10, 2017, at the age of 78.Ford, Sam.
Former DC Councilmember H.R. Crawford dies at 78
. ''

WJLA WJLA-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Washington, D.C., affiliated with ABC. It is one of two flagship stations of Sinclair Broadcast Group (alongside dual Fox/MyNetworkTV affiliate WBFF hannel 45in Baltimore), and is also sister to ...

''. February 10, 2017. He received a

Catholic funeral A Catholic funeral is carried out in accordance with the prescribed rites of the Catholic Church. Such funerals are referred to in Catholic canon law as "ecclesiastical funerals" and are dealt with in canons 1176–1185 of the 1983 Code of Canon L ...

at St Francis Xavier Church in DC.

Personal life

Crawford was

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, active in the Black Catholic scene of DC and a member of the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

Electoral history

1978

1980

1984

1988

1992

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford, H. R. 1939 births 2017 deaths Members of the Council of the District of Columbia Businesspeople from Washington, D.C. Politicians from Winston-Salem, North Carolina United States Assistant Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development Washington, D.C., Democrats Howard University alumni University of the District of Columbia alumni United States Air Force airmen Deaths from prostate cancer in Washington, D.C. 20th-century American politicians Nixon administration personnel 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople African-American businesspeople African-American people in Washington, D.C., politics American real estate businesspeople Businesspeople from North Carolina People from Kalorama (Washington, D.C.) African-American Catholics