Douglas Wilder: American politician
Lawrence Douglas Wilder (born January 17, 1931) is an American politician.
He served as the first African American to be elected as Governor of Virginia. He was the first African-American governor of any state in the United States since the 1870s during the Reconstruction of the United States.
Douglas Wilder | |
|---|---|
 Wilder in January 2003 | |
| 66th Governor of Virginia | |
| In office January 13, 1990 – January 15, 1994 | |
| Lieutenant | Don Beyer |
| Preceded by | Gerald L. Baliles |
| Succeeded by | George F. Allen |
| 78th Mayor of Richmond | |
| In office January 2, 2005 – January 1, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Rudolph McCollum Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Dwight Clinton Jones |
| 35th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia | |
| In office January 18, 1986 – January 13, 1990 | |
| Governor | Gerald L. Baliles |
| Preceded by | Dick Davis |
| Succeeded by | Don Beyer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lawrence Douglas Wilder January 17, 1931 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Eunice Montgomery (div) |
| Residence | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Virginia Union University Howard University |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Awards |  Bronze Star Medal |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1951-1953 |
| Rank |  Sergeant |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
Early life
Wilder was born in Richmond, Virginia. He studied at Virginia Union University and at Howard University.
Political career
Wilder served as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. When earlier elected as Lieutenant Governor, he was the first African American elected to statewide office in Virginia. His most recent political office was Mayor of Richmond, Virginia, which he held from 2005 to 2009.
L. Douglas Wilder was born in the segregated Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond on January 17, 1931.
Later career
On May 30, 2004, Wilder announced his intention to run for Mayor of Richmond. On November 2, 2004, Wilder received 79% of the vote (55,319 votes) to become the first directly elected Mayor of Richmond in sixty years. On May 16, 2008 Wilder announced that he would not seek reelection to another four-year term as mayor.
Personal life
Wilder was married to Eunice Montgomery. Their marriage ended in divorce. He now lives in Richmond, Virginia.
References
Other websites
Media related to Douglas Wilder at Wiki Commons
- L. Douglas Wilder's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project
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