Not many people remember the first African American member of the President's Cabinet. He was Robert C. Weaver, who also was the first Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Now HUD's headquarters' building in Washington has been renamed in Weaver's honor. The building was originally dedicated by Weaver on Sept. 8, 1968.

The change was ordered by Congress in legislation sponsored by New York Democrats Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Rep. Charles Rangel.

Born in the District in 1907, Weaver was appointed in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to head the Housing and Home Finance Agency, a collection of federal offices that included the Urban Renewal Administration, the Federal Housing Administration and the Federal National Mortgage Association.

The Urban Renewal Administration is no more and FNMA, better known as Fannie Mae, is today a quasi-government entity that still helps funnel money from investors world-wide to local lenders throughout the United States.

When President Lyndon B. Johnson elevated Weaver's agency to Cabinet level status in 1966, he tapped Weaver to become secretary against the objections of some to the appointment of a Black to the cabinet.

During his tenure, which lasted two years, the first HUD secretary was credited with increasing the availability of affordable housing, fighting to end discrimination by working for the passage of the landmark Fair Housing Act, and launching the evitalization of the country's urban centers.

"Robert Weaver was a pioneer who broke through barriers of racism again and again to build a life of extraordinary achievement and public service," HUD Sec. Andrew Cuomo said at the recent renaming ceremony.

"His brilliance, his talents, his hard work, and his dedication to a better America drove him forward to make history and to make our nation a better place. He is a role model and an inspiration for all of us at HUD."

Added Rep. Rangel: "Anyone who knows of Dr. Weaver's achievements is aware that his activities have greatly enhanced the American way of life, for much of what he did helped many throughout the country achieve a piece of what we have come to call The American Dream'."

After graduating from Harvard University, Weaver began his career in public service at the Department of the Interior. He was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Black Cabinet," an informal advisory group that focused on jobs, education and equal rights for African Americans.

In 1955, he was appointed Deputy Rent Commissioner for New York State, and became the first Black to serve in the New York cabinet when he was appointed commissioner.

Published: July 13, 2000

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