Mary Cornelia Burke Washington (formerly Mary Burke Nicholas; July 6, 1926 – November 30, 2014) was an American

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

, former

New York state New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

official, and advocate for women and minorities in public life. She held a variety of positions in federal, state, and city government in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Early life and education

She was born Mary Cornelia Burke on July 6, 1926, in

Tuskegee, Alabama Tuskegee () is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. It was founded and laid out in 1833 by General Thomas Simpson Woodward, a Creek War veteran under Andrew Jackson, and made the county seat that year. It was incorporated in 1843. ...

, to Ruth Freeland and Walter Sturgeon Burke. Both her parents were graduates of

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 ...

. Her father, Walter Burke, who also had a law degree from

Howard University School of Law Howard University School of Law (Howard Law or HUSL) is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the oldes ...

, had moved the family from Washington D.C. to Tuskegee during the 1920s to help establish Tuskegee Home, one of the United States' first Veterans Administration hospitals for African-American military veterans. The family moved back to Washington D.C. when she was about 10 years old. She graduated from Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. in 1944. Burke then received her bachelor's degree in

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

from the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

in 1948.

Career

She was appointed the first director of New York State Women's Division by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Hugh Carey Hugh Leo Carey (April 11, 1919 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and attorney. He was a seven-term U.S. representative from 1961 to 1974 and the 51st governor of New York from 1975 to 1982. He was a member of the Democratic Party. ...

in 1975.

Personal life

Washington was known as Mary Burke Nicholas prior to her 1994 marriage to

Walter Washington Walter Edward Washington (April 15, 1915 – October 27, 2003) was an American civil servant and politician. After a career in public housing, Washington was the chief executive of Washington, D. C. from 1967 to 1979, serving as the first an ...

, a

widower A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can so ...

who had previously held office as the first elected

Mayor of the District of Columbia The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia, in the United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed ...

from 1967 to 1979.

References

1926 births 2014 deaths People from Tuskegee, Alabama Economists from Alabama State cabinet secretaries of New York (state) University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni American women economists Dunbar High School (Washington, D.C.) alumni 21st-century American women {{alabama-stub