Horace J. Bryant, Jr. (June 29, 1909 – April 13, 1983) was an
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
civil rights activist, banking commissioner, and politician from
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
Richard J. Hughes
Richard Joseph Hughes (August 10, 1909December 7, 1992) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. A Democrat, he served as the 45th governor of New Jersey from 1962 to 1970, and as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1973 to ...
, he was the first African American to serve in a State Cabinet position in the New Jersey government.
Early life and career
Bryant was born and raised in the predominantly African American community of
Lawnside, New Jersey
Lawnside is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 2,945,New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...
's first African American calendar clerk, responsible for billing and scheduling.
He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
in 1929. In 1930, he joined state service as a junior bank examiner in the
New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
.
Political career
In 1939, Bryant moved to
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
and became involved in local Republican Party politics. He ran for local office in Atlantic City in 1948, the first African American to do so, and again in 1952. He was unsuccessful in both races, having been frozen out by
Atlantic County
Atlantic County is a county located along the southern coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county had a population of 274,534.Frank S. Farley.
Bryant then joined the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
and became active at the local and state levels. He was a life member of the
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...
and spoke out on civil rights issues in Atlantic City. He led efforts to integrate Atlantic City's movie theatres in the 1950s, and he founded the Northside Union League Federal Credit Union, the city's first African American financial institution.
Bryant worked his way up in the state Department of Banking and Insurance, becoming deputy commissioner in 1965. In 1969, he was appointed commissioner by Governor
Richard J. Hughes
Richard Joseph Hughes (August 10, 1909December 7, 1992) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. A Democrat, he served as the 45th governor of New Jersey from 1962 to 1970, and as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1973 to ...
, becoming the first African American to hold a cabinet-level position in New Jersey.
He retired from state office in 1970 at the end of the Hughes administration and returned to Atlantic City. In 1972, he was elected to the Atlantic City Commission, and he served as City Commissioner of Revenue and Finance until 1980. He also founded the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority.
Bryant and his wife Lillian Weekes had a daughter also named Lillian, who served on the Atlantic County
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the b ...
from 1975 to 1990. He was the uncle of
Wayne R. Bryant
Wayne R. Bryant (born November 7, 1947) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1995 to 2008, where he represented the 5th Legislative District. He is also a convicted felon for corruption. Befo ...
, who served in the
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...
and
State Senate
A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...
before his conviction on corruption charges, and Mark Bryant, who served as mayor of
Lawnside, New Jersey
Lawnside is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 2,945,Linwood, New Jersey
Linwood is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 7,092,Carnegie Library Center in
Stockton University
Stockton University is a public university in Galloway Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. It is named for Richard Stockton, one of the New Jersey signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence ...