Morris W. Hood III (May 21, 1965 – May 11, 2020) was an American politician who served as a member of the Michigan Senate. He represented

District 3 District 3 can refer to: *III District, Turku, in Finland * District 3, Düsseldorf, in Germany *District 3, Grand Bassa County, in Liberia * District 3, Malta, an electoral district of Malta *District 3, a police district of Malta * Wiedikon, als ...

, encompassing Dearborn, Melvindale, and a portion of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

from 2011 to 2018.

Early life and education

Hood was born in Detroit. He went to

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

and

Henry Ford College Henry Ford College (HFC) is a public community college in Dearborn, Michigan. The institution, established in 1938 by the Dearborn Fordson Public Schools Board of Education, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The institution was ...

. Hood was the son of Morris Hood Jr. and the nephew of Raymond W. Hood.

Career

Prior to his election to the Legislature, Hood was an Production technician at

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

's Dearborn Engine & Fuel Tank Plant. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the House in 1998. Hood was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2003, serving for three terms. He was elected to the Michigan Senate in 2010, also serving as the Michigan Senate Minority Floor Leader until 2018. He was unable to run for re-election due to term-limits, and was succeeded by

Sylvia Santana Sylvia Anjel SantanaMichigan Committee Statement of Organization ...

. Hood won his father's legislative seat, as he was the son of former Michigan State Rep. Morris Hood Jr., who died in 1998. Due to term limits, Hood went to work in Wayne County administration after his stint in the Michigan State senate ended. Hood III, a widower, was survived by his second wife Chavon Hood. Michigan Governor

Gretchen Whitmer Gretchen Esther Whitmer (born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006 ...

, a former state lawmaker herself and colleague of Hood, called him "a dear friend and proud Detroiter dedicated to community service".

Death

Hood died from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

on May 11, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hood, Morris W. 3 1965 births 2020 deaths Politicians from Dearborn, Michigan Politicians from Detroit Wayne State University alumni Henry Ford Community College alumni Ford people Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Democratic Party Michigan state senators 21st-century American politicians Candidates in the 1998 United States elections African-American state legislators in Michigan Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan 21st-century African-American people